Dear friends and readers of Boa Onda Guesthouse Peniche, today’s article is dedicated to discovering what to eat in Portugal during your summer vacation. In fact, besides being renowned for its countless surf schools, magnificent landscapes and a rich history, Portugal is also a great location from a culinary point of view. Below we will try to show you the best traditional Portuguese dishes so that you can prepare the list of specialties to try, well in advance. Let discover all together what to eat in Portugal.
What to eat in Portugal
Below we will see the main specialties of Portuguese cuisine starting from the favorite dish of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese cod.
This dish is certainly the favorite ingredient of Portuguese cuisine. Its local name in Portuguese is Bacalhau. It is cooked in about a hundred different variations:
- fried,
- stew,
- breaded,
- slow cooking,
These are some of the most famous ways of eating Portuguese cod:
- Bacalhau com nata = literally “cod with cream”. A delicate and tasty preparation to taste this fish: add potatoes, onions and béchamel with cream.
- Bacalhau á gomes da sá = this dish includes stewed cod accompanied by potatoes, onions and boiled eggs;
- Bacalhau á brás = cod fillets and potatoes tied with eggs, parsley and onions;
- Pasteis de bacalhau = croquettes of breaded and fried cod to taste also pre-dinner
The second dish of the Portuguese tradition is the octopus. This dish is always present in the menu of each restaurant which is generally respected with the following wording: Polvo à Lagareiro. In this particular preparation the octopus is first stewed, then grilled, making it tender and with a unique taste.
Usually it is accompanied with sauces based on oil, parsley and garlic (often plentiful). Baked potatoes close the accompaniment.
The octopus is also served in a raw variant, in the form of carpaccio. It is very popular during the warm summer nights of July and August.
The third dish we want to recommend is the francesinha, which undoubtedly represents the dish of the city of Porto. During your stay you will need to try one or more.
But what exactly is the Portuguese French? This traditional dish is nothing more than a sandwich stuffed with beef, sausage and other hams. Above the sandwich is poured a melted cheese pour, while around you will find a mountain of fried potatoes drowned in beer sauce.
From experience we can assure you that it is delicious how big. We recommend a 2-part division with friends or partners.
The fourth dish that struck us is the Bifana and the Bola de Lamego, similar dishes that we put together.
The Bifana is a simple but delicious snack consisting of bread with some slices of pork cooked in a pan with a tasty and slightly spicy sauce. The bread is slightly toasted, just enough to enhance the taste of the meat even more.
La Bola de Lamego, on the other hand, is very reminiscent of the stuffed pizza of central Italy, very similar to the stuffed focaccia. This dish can be accompanied with ingredients such as:
- meat,
- ham,
- cheese,
- vegetables
- fish
Finally, we strongly advise you to try some traditional Portuguese seafood specialties such as clams and sardines. They are among the strengths of the catch coming from Portugal and famous all over the world. For this reason they are strongly requested from abroad, representing one of the strengths of national exports.
For sardines, especially in the Lisbon area, the sardinhas assadas are popular. These are served on slices of corn bread, with grilled peppers or on boiled vegetables. Soak them in Portuguese olive oil and you will discover exceptional flavors.
The clams, called in the local language Amêijoas, are another culinary specialty of Portugal. One of the various ways of preparing clams is the following: Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato. This dish is very reminiscent of the local mussels, because the clams are seasoned inside a spicy and spicy sauce to the right point.
CONCLUSIONS
Hoping to have offered you some useful information on what to eat in Portugal, we look forward to your comments and suggestions. For any information, regarding a potential holiday in Portugal dedicated to surfing and yoga, our staff is always at your disposal to answer your questions and direct you during the booking.
See you soon!
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