FISH

First, let us state the obvious: this little corner is all about the sea and the wonderfully fresh gifts it showers us with. With a 850 km long coastline and two archipelagos floating in the middle of the Atlantic, it is no wonder that Portugal is deemed to have the best fish supply in the whole wide world! And don’t just take my word for it. Ferran Adriá, one of Europe’s greatest chefs, has confidently stated that “the best fish in the world is Portuguese”. So what makes our fish such a hit? First, how fresh it is when served at your table and, then, the outstanding variety to choose from. Traditionally we cook our fish in several different ways, from boiled, to steamed, to fried… but we truly prefer to be conservatives and just grill it in sea salt and olive oil.  So, from robalo (seabass) to dourada (bream) to one of the most widespread of all Portuguese infatuations, sardinhas (sardines), Portuguese fish is truly delish!

 

SEAFOOD

 But our waters also boast the best seafood, giving way to very peculiar eating traditions… Have you ever heard about whelks? Well, according to the New York Times, they’re “making headlines in the most cutting-edge menus”. Here in Portugal whelks are not a novelty – they have always been enjoyed as a delicacy, and can be savoured in any good old restaurant. Fresher, cheaper and tastier. And that’s not all: we have also been blessed with lovely oysters, rock barnacles, clams, razor clams, prawns, lobsters, squids, octopuses… you name it! And you try it!

BACALHAU

Yes, you should learn how to say that right. It means codfish – roughly, because there’s something more to its meaning hidden in the way we pronounce it. Bacalhau is our national dish – but the fish itself cannot be found in our waters. For centuries, the Portuguese have been fishing cod in the Northern seas off the coast of Norway and later Canada, where the Portuguese fishing settlements are older than Canada itself. We call it our “faithful friend” because it was always cheap and reliable, as it is salted and can last for several months. We have a thousand and one ways of cooking our loyal companion. And they’re all heavenly! More than the fish itself, it is Portugal’s true devotion that makes these dishes taste sooo good!

 

WINE 

This item doesn’t need introductions. Portuguese wine is said to be the result of the combined sapience of ancient Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly Romans. At its peak, Roman heads of state drowned their thoughts in our nectars… Today, we have a wide range of local wine varieties for all sort of tastes, which is particularly interesting considering the small size of our country. Porto and Madeira wines are classics, strong, sweet and generous. But there’s also the Rosé, deemed a ladies’ wine due to a childish aversion to pink, and the Verde wine, a very young and slightly sparkly variety from the Minho region. Besides these, we have the well-known whites and reds, with very different characters depending on the region they come from. Try them from north to south – and cheers to a good excuse to travel!

 

BREAD

The Portuguese expression “a pão e àgua”, meaning to almost starve someone by feeding them only bread and water, doesn’t sound bad at all. Here´s why: Portugal has a vast array of hearty, warm, mouth-watering bread. Each region was blessed with its own signature bread, always different but delicious every time. it is also the core ingredient for true Portuguese hearty meals, such as Sopa Alentejana, a soup made of leftover bread, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and a poached egg (and sliced tomato for a fresh twist – wink!), Migas, a sort of dough made of leftover bread seasoned with garlic, salt, olive oil and whatever you feel will taste right, fried in a pan, or Açorda, a mushy but delicious side dish. hmmmm!

 

HEAVENLY PASTRY

Pastry is truly the icing on our cake (though most of our pastries don’t have icing). At the risk of sounding like a fanatic, let me say this out loud: Portugal has the best pastry ever! This is not a patriotic thing, there’s an explanation: imagine a deeply catholic country, with thousands of convents and monasteries, where little girls and boys were sent off, regardless of their faith, religious inclination, or basic flare for spiritual life. If some of the girls were indeed eager to be married off to God, most of them felt a bit anxious, having other grooms in mind. And as any anxious young woman would, they turned to food – thus becoming confectioner-nuns. So, they mixed eggs and sugar and flour and cream and all sorts of heavenly spices with the sole purpose of creating the most masterful pastries and deserts. In the attempt to please the lord, they brought temptation upon us for centuries to come. To this day, their legacy lurks behind beautiful pastelaria glasses, making our mouths water at its sight. Just try one Pastel the de Nata (cream custard tart, our national mania) to see what I’m talking about…

COFFEE

And no Pastel de Nata likes to be on its own, that’s why you’ll need a cup of coffee! Though it is not a very widespread notion in History, Portugal was once the head of a coffee empire (so to say). From Brazil to Angola, passing through São Tome and Principe islands. This has made us very demanding and knowledgeable when it comes to coffee, which means that you’ll have an expert serving you a good cup virtually anywhere you walk in. Coffee is also the grand finale after any respectable meal. So here it is, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it!