For me, the culture of the place where I'm going is transmitted, among other things, and sometimes and above all, through food. And it often happens that the simpler the food, the tastier it is. It is not for nothing that all the forums for travelers and advise to go to those cafes where the "natives" go. Sometimes it is not easy to get used to the local cuisine. Indian, Vietnamese, and some even French cooking is not to their liking and not to their liking. But not trying what everyone eats around is also quite difficult. In Portugal, with food, everything is quite simple. Even having 2-6 euros a day you will not stay hungry. Don't believe? And this is true.
So, what is the basis of Portuguese cuisine?
Buying food at the market
To understand what you can eat in Portugal, you need to look at the local market. My hotel in Porto was not far from the city market, which I went to for fruits and vegetables. Look at the counter, it's certainly green! All kinds of salads and cabbage.
We eat octopus and fish in small local cafes
Undoubtedly, Portugal, as a maritime country, cannot do without fish and seafood in its menu. For those who can afford a little more, octopus, squid, oysters and others are available. Marine life.
The simplest preparation is simply grilled with salt and lemon. As we read and then saw with our own eyes, the most popular dish in Portugal prepared in this way is sardines. Moreover, in Porto they were much more impressive than their Lisbon relatives (these “fry” below are just Lisbon).
A little more difficult - stew with potatoes. So, for example, they cook cod, which can be found in every cafe. At the same time, sardines and beans, in the form in which you see in the photo, are an ordinary worker's lunch in the most ordinary simple cafe.
We try smoked meats and meat
Of course, the Portuguese eat meat. And smoked meats of all kinds, shapes and fillings are presented in a variety of markets and butcher shops.
The Portuguese love soup and so do we.
The most popular dish among the local population is soup. There are basically two options. Cabbage and vegetables. The latter will also be half cabbage. Depending on the status of the establishment, the type and ingredients of the soup will differ. In a restaurant in Obidos, the cabbage soup was liquid, almost one broth, but with a slice of jamon. But in a simple cafe there was so much cabbage in the soup that the spoon did not sink, but instead of jamon there was a piece smoked sausage.
And such a soup costs 1-2 euros. At lunchtime, the counters in all the cafes fill up with workers and clerks, and everyone eats soup with bread. Local bread is very cheap. The simplest bun costs 10 cents. Every time we went to a cafe for coffee, we saw how local pensioners buy espresso and a bun, which they carefully cut into 2 pieces.
Portuguese coffee
Coffee in Portugal is the best I have ever had. And the cheapest. 70 cents!
And it is impossible to refuse local pastries! Yellow as the sun itself that illuminates this country. A lot of eggs are put in baking, and it becomes incredibly tasty.
Paste - the most important thing you need to try
Paste is a traditional Portuguese dessert. And it's very tasty. Puff puff pastry and custard. When they are warm and freshly baked, they are generally incomparable. And there is no need to give any addresses, they are really tasty everywhere. Even at the Lisbon airport. 
I usually write down the addresses of cafes where you can eat delicious food in advance, mostly from the Lonely Planet guide. The crisis, which has now reached Portugal, has affected many inexpensive establishments, and they have closed. Nevertheless, wherever we went along the way, it was delicious, simple and not very expensive. The main thing is not to be embarrassed by the simplicity of the institution.
Imagine that you are looking out into the Atlantic Ocean, while enjoying the warm climate and picturesque scenery. The sun descends beyond the endless horizon… What is missing for complete perfection? Of course, delicious, fragrant, gourmet dishes and good wine! This Portuguese cuisine will delight you in abundance.
Portugal, Sintra. Azenhas do Mar. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickmayon/
Many see Portugal as an extension of Spain. In terms of attractions, maybe, but not in food and drinks. For example, using a small hot pepper Piri piri is inspired by African traditions in many Portuguese dishes. And in the south, the influence of Italian cuisine can be traced - here they also love pasta and add garlic everywhere. In general, the Portuguese are not indifferent to all kinds of spices, and they know how to use them correctly.
Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Portuguese cuisine is replete with fish and seafood dishes. In whatever ways they are cooked: they are fried, and boiled, and stewed, and baked on coals. Portugal occupies one of the first places in Europe in terms of the amount of fish consumed per year.
Piri-piri pepper. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamnesiss/
"Business card" of Portugal
Bakalhau - dried salted cod - the main national product of the country. The history of the bacalau is very extensive. Cod has been cooked in this way since the times when there were no refrigerators, and in order to preserve the fish, seafarers kept it in salt and then dried it.
Portuguese dish - bacalau. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ [email protected]/
At first, this dish was considered common. And now bacalau is a delicacy and an indispensable attribute of any holiday. It is served on Easter, Christmas and other solemn dates.
There are a lot of variations of cod dishes. The Portuguese claim that it can be cooked 365 days a year without ever repeating itself.
First and second Portuguese dishes
Traditional national soup - Kaldu Verde (Caldo verde). It is prepared from green cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic with the addition of olive oil and chorizo (chouriço). Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage. The main spice in it is paprika, which gives the sausage a reddish color and sharpness. It is thanks to Chorizo that Caldu Verde acquires a unique piquant taste.
Traditional Portuguese soup - Caldo Verde. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/weareneverfull/
Spicy lovers should also try the famous Portuguese dish Piri-Piri Chicken (Frango Piri-Piri). Chicken pieces are pre-marinated in piri-piri sauce, then baked or fried.
A Portuguese dish is chicken piri-piri (Frango piri piri). Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ [email protected]/
In general, the Portuguese cannot imagine their menu without the piri-piri sauce. The main ingredients of the sauce: hot piri-piri pepper, citrus zest, garlic, wine vinegar or lemon juice, oregano, basil, olive oil. Many dishes in Portugal are accompanied by this original hot sauce.
Portuguese dish - Feijoada (feijoada). Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlaarena/
Feijoada is also traditional for this sunny country. Stewed beans with various types of meat and cassava flour. It is served in clay pots with cabbage, rice, pepper sauce, chorizo and other additions, depending on the region. Feijoada is prepared differently in each locality.
Portuguese dish - Carne de Porco a Alentejana (Carne de Porco à Alentejana). Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chezbasilic/
Another famous Portuguese dish is Carne de Porco à Alentejana. This is a combination of fried pork and shellfish. Pork marinated in a sauce of white wine, pepper, garlic, coriander, bay leaf. Then it is fried until golden brown, after which clams are added, and all this is cooked for two minutes. Served with baked or fried potatoes.
Portuguese desserts
After tasting meat and fish dishes, it's time for dessert. The basis of many traditional Portuguese desserts are eggs and sugar, in large quantities. Often spices are also used in sweets, such as cinnamon or vanilla.
Portuguese pastry - Pastel de Belém. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cronicaonline/
An iconic confection from Portugal is Pastel de Belém. These are cakes made of dough in the form of baskets with custard, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top. They have been made at the Pasteis de Belém since 1837. It is located in the Lisbon area. To this day, the exact recipe for this cake is kept secret and is known only to three employees of this pastry shop.
Portuguese pastry - Pastel de Nata. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/portobaytrade/
In many cafes and pastry shops in Portugal you will find an analogue of this cake - Pastel de Nata. But for tourists, it is a must to visit the old pastry shop Pasteis de Belém to enjoy the taste of those same, real pastries Pastel de Belém.
portuguese drinks
Where else can you try a real port, if not in Portugal - the birthplace of this drink. Port wine (Porto) is a dessert wine with a strength of 20%, produced in the city of Porto, in the north of Portugal, as well as in other areas where its production is fixed at the legislative level. A small amount of port wine is usually drunk before meals, as an aperitif.
Portuguese wines. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ [email protected]/
Also no less popular is Vinho Verde - green wine. But "green" does not mean the color of the drink, but its short exposure. Verde can be white, pink or red. This wine is not produced in any other country except Portugal. It is quite specific in taste and should be tasted in combination with seafood, fish or meat dishes.
For strong wines, try the well-known Portuguese wine Madeira, which is produced on the island of Madeira. There are dry and dessert wines. The variety of Madeira depends on the grapes and the aging period. The longer it is, the richer and juicier the taste of wine. By the way, in a liquor store or in a restaurant, if you want to try Madeira, you need to pronounce “vinho da Madeira” (vinho da Madeira), otherwise they will not understand you with the word “Madera”.
Portuguese Madeira. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dubes/
Portuguese cuisine will seduce any gourmet with its superb delicacies, as this sunny country is known for its eternal love of wine and food. Enjoy the dishes slowly, savoring every bite of fragrant, spicy food and tasting amazing wine at the same time. Bom apetite! (Bon appetit!)
The popularity of Portugal as a country for tourism is gaining momentum. At the same time, few people know Portuguese cuisine in Russia. What do the Portuguese eat, what culinary traditions do they adhere to and about the most delicious meals we will talk with a person who is familiar with the peculiarities of national cuisine firsthand.
Igor Parkhomenko moved from Ukraine to Portugal in 2001, worked as an assistant chef in the restaurant of the Pestana Alvor Praia 5 * hotel in the south of Portugal, traveled a lot around the country and appreciated not only restaurant dishes, but also authentic home cooking.
Igor, tell us what attracted you to Portugal and why did you decide to stay here?
Firstly, Portugal is the most peaceful country, nothing happens here, you can choose your favorite business, develop with it, and as they say: "Live and do not grieve." Secondly, it is not difficult to obtain a residence permit here and subsequently apply for citizenship.
Do you remember what impression Portuguese cuisine made on you?
Grilled dishes are very popular in Portugal. In every restaurant, in every yard there are grills on which meat and fish are fried. Restaurants often include grilled dishes in the "prato do dia" menu (author's note - analogous to our business lunch). They consider such food healthy and useful. For grilling, coals are most often used, but in good restaurants they cook on wood, which gives the dish a special flavor.
On the post-Soviet space various marinades are used in the preparation of kebabs. And each family has its own recipe. Do the Portuguese marinate meat? And if so, how?
Yes, the Portuguese are sure to marinate any meat 1-2 days before grilling. Typically, white wine, wine vinegar, lemon sauce, garlic and pepper are used for the marinade. In this case, the meat is not completely immersed in the solution. They dip each piece in the marinade, put it on a baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator.
What are the main dishes of Portuguese cuisine?
Residents of Russia or Ukraine may think that Portugal is a small country, only 600 km from north to south. However, Portuguese cuisine differs by region. In the south of Portugal - in the Algarve, seafood prevails: fish, shrimp, shellfish and mussels. One of the most popular Algarve dishes is rice with stewed vegetables and seafood ( arroz de mariscos).
In the Alentejo region, meat dishes and sausages are common. Main course "Alentejan style pork" ( carne do porco a Alentejana) is meat and shellfish stewed in wine, at the end of cooking, olives and cubes of fried potatoes are added to them.
Alentejanians also love duck with rice (). Boiled poultry meat is baked in the oven along with rice and raw smoked sausages "shauriço" (chouriço). By the way, the variety of sausages in the Alentejo region is amazing! The Portuguese often roast them on the grill or in special cast-iron pans.
In the central region of Portugal, a roasted pig is considered a signature dish that causes genuine delight among the locals (leitao assado). The suckling pig is baked whole in a wood-fired mold and served with a special sauce. Near Coimbra there is even a special area with restaurants serving leitau asada.
Feijoada () can be called among the most common dishes of the second largest city in Portugal - Porto. This thick bean, beef and pork stew is traditionally served with boiled rice.
The real "bomb" of Portuguese cuisine is a very tasty hodgepodge Cuzidu a Portuguesa ( Cozido a Portuguesa). The main components of the dish are stewed beef, pork, 2-3 types of sausages, cabbage, boiled potatoes or rice. In good restaurants, the height of the dish can reach 20 cm! Sometimes I ask for another plate to deal with everything I've been given.
And of course, you can not ignore the famous francesinha sandwich ( francesinha), which has become one of the symbols of Porto! A thin piece of roasted beef, sausages, bacon, cheese are laid out in layers between slices of bread, everything is baked in an oven or oven. Moreover, in a wood-burning stove, the francesinha turns out to be incomparably tastier. The size of the sandwich may vary. Sometimes in restaurants it is compared with the size of apartments and they write - T1, T2 or T3. The larger the number, the larger the size. Served with french fries and hot alcoholic sauce. The sauce recipe is the main secret of every restaurant.
In most guidebooks, when mentioning Portuguese cuisine, they write about bacalhau and pastel de nata. What can you say about these dishes?
Bacalhau (cod) is a traditional Portuguese dish and an essential part of the Christmas menu. Portugal buys dried cod from Norway, so it is not cheap. There is a huge variety of types of bacalhau, you can talk about it endlessly. Personally, I like bacalhau with cream () - oven-baked cod with fried potatoes and cream sauce. Also very tasty bacalhau a brush ( bacalhau a brás) - cod with fried potatoes, onions and egg, sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Pastel de nata - a puff pastry cake with custard, the Portuguese usually eat for breakfast with a cup of coffee. You won't see a Portuguese who had dinner and then started eating pastel de nata. Although for breakfast, the Portuguese often choose not cake, but toast with butter.
What other desserts do the Portuguese prefer?
Portugal has a lot of cakes. Basically, the Portuguese love puff pastry products with various creams. In Aveiro, you should definitely try dessert - ovos moles de Aveiro () - a small puff pastry with yolk cream. Biscuit cakes are not common, the Portuguese do not like them for some reason.
As far as I noticed, in Portugal they drink mostly coffee. What kind of coffee do the locals prefer?
Basically, it's espresso - small cups of very strong coffee. Not all emigrants immediately get used to such a dose - they turned it over, but it was already over ... The Portuguese also drink meia de leite coffee (meia de leite - half milk / half coffee) and galão (galão - 1/4 coffee, the rest is milk). Meia de leite is always served in ceramic cups, and galão in a glass.
And of course, we cannot ignore the main drink of Portugal - the legendary port wine. How do you feel about port wine? Do you have a favorite brand or type of port wine?
I love pink port (porto rose). It appeared less than 10 years ago, therefore it is not as common as "ruby" (ruby) or "tony" (tawny).
First, it's a matter of taste. Secondly, here you need to look at the price category. I would recommend trying red wine (vinho tinto) from the Alentejo, Bairrada or Douro regions. If the bottle says "reserva", it means that the wine has been aged in oak barrels longer and it is a higher quality wine.
What wines do the locals prefer? Do they drink port wine?
The Portuguese drink port wine only on holidays as an aperitif. They usually drink red or white wine, less often strong alcoholic drinks.
And in conclusion, please name 5 dishes of Portuguese cuisine that every traveler in Portugal should definitely try.
- francesinha (francesinha)
- feijoada (feijoada)
- grilled sardines
- seafood rice (arroz de mariscos)
- snacks in a good restaurant (entrada) - bread, olives, cheeses, sometimes jerky.
If you want to try Portuguese cuisine, then we invite you to the author's group and individual trips around Portugal. Details on the link Author's tours to Portugal.
E Yes, in Portugal, mostly simple and without show off.
Fish is consumed in any form - boiled and fried, salted and raw ... because the country is by the sea, the Portuguese eat fish the most in Europe (as they believe). Restaurants "for tourists" mainly offer pork chops, something like goulash, chicken cutlets, various sausages (don't take it) from world classic side dishes - rice or french fries with planed vegetables ...
Most restaurants offer traditional Portuguese cuisine. The menu also has its own regional original dishes, such as beef offal with vegetables. Basically, Porto restaurants focus on fish, which is understandable - a country on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Vegetables are preferred raw or boiled. The most popular are potatoes, beans, carrots, cauliflower.
There are many exotics and it is not always at an increased price. For example, "Cuzido a Portuguesa" is a dish for those who are really very hungry. This traditional Portuguese dish is not very difficult to prepare. You need to take all the meat in the house, including expired sausages, and cook everything with the addition of beans. Feijoada is something similar. It doesn't taste any different, but it sounds nicer.
This is for one serving))) we had enough for three
"Caldeirada" - the same, only different fish are used instead of meat. But there are also complex dishes, for example, ordinary cod in a creamy sauce, cooked for more than a day. Locals call cod bacalau. It is generally brought from Norway, but each resident of Portugal eats on average about 16 kg of cod per year.
Everything that is for tourists is edible, although not at all. But the main thing is not to try sausages. For 8 - 10 euros you will get a full-fledged G, in comparison with which a sausage for 50 rubles from Pyaterochka will seem like a gastronomic masterpiece. Local sausages - something chewed, tasteless, lightly salted and falling apart as soon as you take it out of the casing.
French fries, onions and tomatoes in all restaurants were nothing, quite edible.
The octopus was chic ... not rubber.
The fish is delicious, but for some reason it resembles boiled cod, no matter what you order. Do you think I'm kidding? They have "bacalhau" - salted cod and 365 ways to cook it, one for each day of the year. According to statistics, every Portuguese eats 16 kilograms of cod per year. But the funny thing is that it is not found in local latitudes, it is brought from Belarus to Norway. This fish is local. Fish is a needle. Delicious and delicious, because it is deep-sea and can only be caught at night.
Dish "bacalhau a bras". Jacket potatoes and grilled sardines. Grilled sardines are cooked by locals right on the balconies of apartments, none of the neighbors will make a remark, they cook it themselves.
"Piri-piri" is spicy))) sharp hellish crap after which it will blaze both in front and behind.
They say that the correct Portuguese steak is cooked in a port wine sauce, and the "kebab" is marinated in port wine with garlic.
Probably I was unlucky)) did not meet. In general, I can briefly describe Portuguese cuisine - everything goes well with port wine. Pipple shove, literally and figuratively. Everything that is sharpened for a tourist is better not to visit, it will definitely not be tasty. We need to look for places for the locals.
In Lisbon, we tried Caldo verde, a traditional national soup. Green cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic with olive oil and spicy chorizo pork sausage. However, there was nothing sharp among the thicket. Just something incomprehensible ... but very edible. Demand spicy sausage separately! Otherwise, the cook will take her home.
Seaweed soup...
Fish soup.
In Porto or Lisbon, there are no problems with choosing restaurants, especially in the central part of the city. Literally on every corner you can find both a small home cafe, a hearty lunch in which will cost 6 EUR, and a budget or expensive establishment, with a check from 15 to 100 EUR.
I thought they didn't know how to cook pork. They simply cut it thinly and make a sole out of it by roasting. Tried pork in several places and everywhere is about the same - none.
We ate this salad in Porto))) it is called "Russian salad". Those. our Olivier. But there are no salted cucumbers and sausages, just potatoes, carrots, peas and a little mayonnaise, so few of them are not felt at all. I had to tell them what to add to such a salad ...
Alcohol here for every taste and color. The Portuguese themselves prefer to mix dry wine with water. Tourists drink everything else. Lisbon trams even on bottles))
Porto is, of course, port wine...
About port wine and how it ripens above under the link.
In general, there are hundreds of restaurants in Portugal: from the most modest places where you can dine for less than 20 EUR, to restaurants with Michelin stars.
There are many inexpensive restaurants in Porto in the Ribeira quarter. All are distinguished by good cuisine and comfort. Lots of delicious bread here. Surprisingly. I have never eaten such delicious bread anywhere abroad as in Portugal.
Cakes "Pachet de Nata" - custard, crispy basket. Below is an unleavened bun with a chemical cream. Not edible at all. But if you spend a month at sea, it will go with a bang.
They also have their own Tula gingerbread.
There are many different desserts in Portuguese cuisine. Most sweets are made from egg yolk, to which sugar, coconut, cinnamon, marzipan are added.
This chilled chocolate dessert was tried in Lisbon, it was very tasty.
In Porto, mid-range restaurants are widely represented, usually small, with a cozy and somewhat homely interior. The average check is 30-50 EUR. Expensive restaurants are usually located on the waterfront. They offer a wide variety of food and especially wines. In the cards of some of them there are up to thousands of names of this drink. The average check is 70-80 EUR.
In the evening, just sitting with wine in Porto is a problem. We walked around the center, kicked everywhere, as soon as they found out that we weren’t going to eat, but we’d just buy wine, beer from them and sit down. This has never been seen anywhere, even in pompous Moscow)) as if every table is worth its weight in gold))
Main sources:
Portuguese cuisine belongs to the group of Mediterranean cuisines, and therefore it is characterized by a wide use of seafood, herbs, cheeses and spices, as well as centuries-old wine-making traditions. As you know, the Portuguese were great travelers and discoverers, and therefore Portuguese cuisine has significantly influenced many other cuisines of the world (especially the cuisines of the former colonies). Therefore, echoes of the culinary passions of the Portuguese can be found in the most different corners planets.Like most southerners, the Portuguese have a very light breakfast - as a rule, their breakfast is coffee or milk with a sandwich or a bun. They dine here at about 2-3 pm, but the main and most satisfying meal is dinner, which starts at about 8 pm and consists of several dishes (traditionally - appetizer, soup, main course, dessert).
Since Portugal has been a maritime country since antiquity, the cuisine of this country is distinguished by an extremely wide range of fish and seafood dishes. No country in Europe eats more fish than Portugal. Fish is baked here, and fried, and stewed, and boiled, and smoked, and dried. Most often, cod is cooked - there is even a saying that the Portuguese have as many cod dishes as there are days in a year. Fish dishes are usually flavored with olive oil and vinegar. The Portuguese love grilled sardines, and canned tuna with potatoes and beans is popular.
Not only fish is popular, but also other seafood - octopus, squid, sepia, shrimps, lobsters, lobsters, shellfish, etc. The traditional dish is caldeirada - a dish of shellfish, fish, potatoes and tomatoes.
But meat and poultry in Portugal since ancient times were included in the daily diet of only the most prosperous people. Commoners ate cheap fish caught or bought on the market, while few could afford meat and poultry. The cosido dish was considered the most luxurious dish, the preparation of which is very dependent on the budget and imagination of the chef - the dish included pieces of beef, pork, salted bacon, sausages, bacon, as well as carrots, rice, and beans.
In the city of Porto, another meat dish is very popular - francesinha, a hot sandwich with bacon, sausage, tomatoes and asparagus beans. In some regions of the country, alkatra is popular - fried beef marinated in red wine with garlic. Portugal is also famous for its wide selection of sausages (enchidos). A popular modern Portuguese dish is chicken piri-piri - chicken meat in pepper sauce.
In addition to fish and meat, vegetables, especially tomatoes, cabbage and onions, have found wide use in local cuisine. A very popular dish is a dish of garlic, olive oil, eggs and bread. Most meals are served with fresh salads, which usually include tomatoes, lettuce, onions and olive oil. The most common side dishes are potatoes and rice.
Popular and vegetable soups- for example, caldo verde from potatoes, onions and cabbage. Also, the country is distinguished by a variety of cheeses, most of which are made from goat or sheep's milk and have a very sharp flavor. In some regions, however, they also make traditional cheese from cow's milk.
