 In a country that has such an extensive coastline, it
is not surprising that the sea should be one of the main
sources of its cuisine.
The tasty caldeiradas (stews made with all kinds of different
fish) are a perfect example of this, just like the traditional
sardinha assada (grilled sardines), which are to be found
all summer round at practically every popular festivity
from the north to the south of Portugal.
You will also certainly want to taste Ameijoas na Cataplana,
(clams steamed in a copper pan, a dish that originates
from the Algarve), mexilhões (mussels) or the
various crustaceans.
Or, if you prefer a lighter dish, why not try our delicious
grilled fish, such as salmonete (mullet), dourada (gilthead)
or linguado (sole)?
The national dish is, of course, bacalhau (dried and
salted cod), which the Portuguese used to fish for regularly
off the coast of far-off Newfoundland, and for which
they have invented 1001 different ways of cooking it.
We should perhaps stress the most simple way of all,
boiled with potatoes and cabbage. This is the dish that
you will find served in most Portuguese houses for the
traditional Christmas Eve supper.
There are also many interesting freshwater fish from
our rivers, such as Lampreia (lamprey-eel, cooked with
rice), truta (trout) from the mountains of Serra da Estrela
or sável (shad) from the Ribatejo region, all
of which are greatly appreciated by connoisseurs.
But a good meal in Portugal should always begin with
a soup. Perhaps the best-known is the caldo verde (a
thick soup made from shredded cabbage and potatoes),
which originates from the Minho province and is generally
seasoned with a sprinkling of olive-oil and a slice of
chouriço.
A very traditional dish from the Ribatejo is the famous
`sopa da pedra´ (literally stone soup). This was
invented by a monk who wanted to make a soup, but only
had a stone, and so he asked in each of the houses that
he visited if the people living there could give him
just one more ingredient for his soup. In this way, he
managed to put together enough ingredients to provide
a very substantial dish.
In the Alentejo, there is also the famous sopa de cação
(skate soup), made from fish and bread. In this traditionally
important region for wheat-growing (it is frequently
referred to as the `granary of Portugal´), the
lack of different food resources and general poverty
proved a great test of the local inhabitants` imagination.
Bread was therefore used as the basic ingredient, to
which aromatic herbs were then added, resulting in the
extremely tasty Migas and Açordas.
All over the country, one of the most traditional dishes
is Cozido à portuguesa (a stew made from boiled
pork and beef, vegetables and various kinds of sausages).
In the Azores, this has the added spice of being cooked
in the vapours of the hot spring waters at Furnas.
It is very difficult to choose from amongst the various
meat dishes. We should perhaps draw attention to the
famous cabrito assado no forno (oven-roast kid), which
is found in practically all regions, and is the dish
traditionally served at family gatherings at Easter time.
Equally tasty dishes are Chanfana (lamb stewed in red
wine), from the Beiras region, Ensopado de borrego (lamb-stew
from the northern Alentejo region), leitão assado
da Bairrada (roast suckling pig, from the Bairrada region
to the north of Coimbra), whilst in Madeira there are
the traditional espetadas em pau de loureiro (beef kebabs
grilled on a laurel stick).
One of the most popular dishes in the Azores is Alcatra
(made from beef). Beefsteak with a fried egg on top -
popularly known as a `bitoque´ - is a dish that
is most popular amongst the Portuguese. You will find
it almost everywhere and there are some restaurants that
have added a special sauce.
Smoked meats, especially presunto (ham), chouriço,
paio and salpicão sausages, are all deservedly
praised for their high quality.
The city of Porto has its own very special tripe dish,
`Tripas à moda do Porto´, of which the local
population are justly proud, in view of the history that
gave rise to this dish and testifies to their great powers
of resistance. At a time when the city was under siege
from foreign invaders, the few animals remaining there,
which were meant to be used for food, were thrown off
the city walls to give their attackers the idea that
there was still plenty of food left inside. This act
of sheer bravado led the invaders to abandon their plans,
whilst in reality the inhabitants were left to feed themselves
on tripe.
Article © 2002-2006, Portugal
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