We’ve now been eating and cooking our way around Portugal for over four years! So we think we’re in a good position to be able to share some of the best and most essential dishes for any visitor to Portugal to try! Portuguese food is varied and loaded with regional delicacies. This article will cover some of our favourites, as well and the big and internationally known favourites, like the pastel de nata and of course bacalhau.
Compared to its neighbour Spain. Portugal could be called overshadowed when it comes to their dishes and how known they are on the international stage. That said, there’s some impressive quirks and their early explorers left their mark on multiple country’s cuisines. Tempura in Japan? Piri-piri in South Africa? Feijoada in Brazil? The Portuguese took their favourite dishes everywhere, and in many cases left them behind to be adopted and changed by their new owners. Not to mention, the Portuguese and their ex-colonies returning to Portugal and bringing with them their own dishes and flavours.
What is Portuguese food?
First, what is Portuguese food? It’s a common question for lots of visitors and not so easy to define. Despite being a country with a huge Atlantic coastline, the mainland of Portugal has a firmly Mediterranean climate. This means those cornerstones of the Mediterranean diet play a huge role in Portuguese cuisine today, and throughout history. Olive oil, wheat, grapes, and fresh seafood. If this sounds close to your typical Spanish, or Italian diet then you’d be correct. You can also thank the Romans for spreading much of these food types throughout its empire all the way to Portugal. The Romans are widely credited with kick starting wine production across the country.
The difference in food and ingredients with Portugal’s Mediterranean diet and other countries? Well that largely comes from its Atlantic coastline, Moorish and religious influences, and of course its rapid development and the spread of the Portuguese during the Age of Discoveries.
History and Influences on Portuguese Food
For those that aren’t aware, the Moorish, the Muslim inhabitants of Northern Africa, would conquer and occupy Portugal for nearly 400 years. Bringing with them a diverse array of cuisine, and rice (arroz). Rice was grown in many of the wetland areas of Portugal and would make its way into many of the traditional dishes of Portuguese cuisine. The Age of Discoveries would kick start Portuguese as a global cuisine. Taking in exotic spices, fruits, and vegetables from across its colonies and merging them into its cuisine. At the same time, the Portuguese would go on to leave their mark on the countries it traded with.
Doçaria Conventual – Pastries and Eggs, lots of them.
Around the 15th century is when we start to see the first records of the doçaria conventual in Portuguese food. Oh yes, the delicious pastries and desserts filled with egg yolks, or using egg yolks as the primary ingredient. The monasteries and convents would use egg whites for communion wafers and the starch for their clothing, leaving the yolks behind. Combined with now readily available sugar from the recently colonised Madeira. Those egg yolks were turned into all manner of sweets and pastries. One of the most famous being the Pastel de Nata. However, it really feels like every town or city has its own and we’ll continue to try and eat as many as we can! A small shout out to one of our favourites – Folhado de Loulé. A crispy, flaky alternative to the pastel de nata that’s only found in and around the town of Loulé.
Preserved Fish and Meat in Portuguese Food
Despite mentioning multiple times about the fresh produce available and used in Portuguese cooking. Something that is widely consumed are preserved meats and fish – usually, dried, salted, or smoked. Perhaps the most famous is bacalhau, dried and salted cod from the North Atlantic.
You’ll also find an array of Charcuterie and preserved sausages like Alheira, Chouriça, and Morcela. This is where ‘peasant food’ is often used to describe the regional dishes that feature them heavily. Away from the coast, you’ll find hearty stews with seasonal vegetables, and lots of different types of preserved meat. As well as utilising the less commercially valuable cuts of meat, like the ears, jaws, and innards of various animals. Step away from the coast, and Portugal’s regional dishes are meat heavy.
Does Portugal have a National dish?
What exactly is a National Dish? It’s usually taken to mean a singular dish that represents a country. Sometimes it will be the most famous dish, or sometimes the most popular. However, as we’ve mentioned before, Portugal’s cuisine is widely varied, comprising of such a variety that coming up with a national dish has been deemed impossible.
Despite many authors claiming bacalhau as the national dish. Bacalhau is really just an ingredient, it is quite simply, salted and dried cod. Finding a single dish with bacalhau to call the national dish in a country with a rumoured 1000 recipes for bacalhau is no simple task. Not to mention the internal rivalries, one city to another, and one region against another. The modern Portugal has been a country for nearly 1000 years, how do you condense that to a single dish?
A Vote on the National Dish of Portugal?
In 2007, you could say there was an attempt at deciding once and for all on what the national dish of Portugal would be. Organised by the Association of Portuguese Heritage, an estimated 800,000 people took part. What would follow is the announcement of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy and many of those dishes make our list below! With a brief overview of Portuguese cuisine out the way. Let’s take a look at some of our favourite dishes, desserts, and drinks that any visitor should seek out on a trip to Portugal.
The Best Portuguese Food You Should Try in Portugal!
To help organize this guide, we’ve arranged the Portuguese dishes by category. Click on a link to jump to any section that takes your interest! Or read, and savour them all!
Soups and Starters
Caldo Verde
Caldo Verde has to be one of our favourite soups. It is perhaps the most famous soup in Portugal and abroad! The verde in its name refers to the deep green colour of Portuguese Kale, which turns the soup a lightish green colour, contrasting with the deep green of is leaves. Portuguese kale is sometimes also referred to as Portuguese Cabbage, and in Portuguese you’ll see it referred to as Couve Tronchuda. Caldo verde combines a typical soup base with thinly sliced kale, and topped with olive oil and fresh fried slices of Chourico.
Sopa da Pedra – Portuguese Stone Soup
Sopa da Pedra is a traditional soup that combines red kidney beans, potatoes, and cured meat typical of Portugal. Stone soup? Well, several traditional recipes still include the stone that is removed before serving. It is a delicious, hearty soup that is actually really simple to prepare. In 2011 it was selected as one of the seven wonders of Portuguese gastronomy in 2011!
Bolinhos de Bacalhau or Pastéis de Bacalhau
Pastéis de Bacalhau, bolinhos de bacalhau or simply codfish cakes are a very popular appetizer at many snack-bars and restaurants in Portugal. It’s also the first dish that utilizes bacalhau on our list. Pasteis de bacalhau are popular for a good reason, it’s deep fried combination of potatoes and cod that can be eaten at any time of day.
Rissóis de Camarão – Portuguese Shrimp Rissoles
Alongside the pasteis de bacalhau, you’ll often find these golden-brown half-moon shaped pastries displayed in traditional cafés. They are called rissóis and they are deep-fried pastries usually filled with shrimp or mincemeat. They are the perfect pairing to an imperial and are usually eaten on their own as a snack, or as main course with tomato rice and salad.
Sandwiches
Portuguese sandwiches? Yes, Portugal has some fine sandwiches that are even considered traditional! What’s more they usually always involve the essential flavours and spices you’ll find elsewhere in its cuisines.
Bifana
First up, the humble bifana. The bifana is a simple Portuguese sandwich that comprises of a soft bread roll filled with marinated pork cutlets. The secret though, is in the marinade and how its cooked. It’s deliciously Portuguese and simple, made from garlic, white wine, and a few spices. When it comes together, you have a brilliant snack that can and should be eaten at all times of the day. They’ll be found in your cafés and snack bars and can be as cheap as €1.50!
Francesinha
The Francesinha might be the most famous Portuguese sandwich. It originates in Porto but can now be found on the menus of restaurants all over Portugal. The translation of its name is ‘Little French Girl’, however, the only thing little about it, is the name. It’s a very large sandwich filled with multiple layers. Beef steak, cured meat, and fresh sausages, which is then topped with cheese, and covered with a rich beer sauce. It will be served surrounded by French fries. As you can tell it’s a meat and carb heavy meal that is believed to be a Portuguese adaptation of the French classic, the Croque-Monsieur.
Prego no Pão
The Prego no Pão is a simple and delicious Portuguese steak sandwich, available in almost every snack-bar across the country. Like, every Portuguese recipe we have shared so far, they are also associated with a specific town, in this case, Sintra! The prego, like a bifana is a simple sandwich, consisting of a soft white roll filled with fried meat. In this case it’s a thin slice of beefsteak with lots of fried garlic. It’s not heavily marinated, or particularly saucey, and is usually served with a yellow mustard. Quite popular is to have it com ovo, that’s served topped with a fried egg.
Sande de Leitão – Suckling Pork Sandwich
Sande de Leitãos are simple sandwiches made from Leitão. What’s Leitão? Leitão is suckling pig, it’s said to be at its best between 4-6 weeks old. A point when it’s still suckling, and its diet is entirely milk. This results in exceptionally succulent and fatty meat, this is not a sandwich for calorie counters. The roasted pork will be in chunks, almost falling apart. It will be succulent and well roasted with some delicious flavours from the salt, pepper, garlic and bay leaves which form the typical paste of a Leitão assado. Served in a simple, fluffy white roll with a peppery sauce. If you can find a restaurant or bar, that serves Leitão, it’s well worth trying a Sande de Leitão.
Seafood
Ameijoas à Bulhao Pato
Ameijoas à Bulhao Pato is a deliciously simple way of serving fresh Ameijoa (clams). It’s a simple affair of fresh steamed clams, and a dressing of garlic, olive oil, coriander, lemon, and white wine. The white wine is optional and, depending who you ask, you’ll be told whether it’s necessary or not. Ameijoas a Bulhao Pato was also finalist in Portugal’s Sete Maravilhas da Gastronomia.
Arroz de Marisco
Arroz de Marisco is a home-grown seafood classic. Despite its creation being associated to a beach in Central Portugal – Praia de Vieira de Leiria, it is widely available in many restaurants across coastal Portugal. The exact seafood is usually dependent on the local catch of the day, but you can be assured that it will be accompanied by peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and short-grain rice making an indulgent and delicious dish. This is another dish, that almost made it to national dish status by being selected as one of the 7 wonders of the Portuguese gastronomy.
Arroz de Tamboril
Arroz de Tamboril is another great example of rice and seafood within Portuguese cuisine. Instead of multiple types of shellfish, Arroz de Tamboril mostly utilizes the monkfish. Monkfish rice is widely available in most seafood restaurants across the country, but sadly not the most obvious choice for most people!
Bacalhau com Natas
The first main dish of bacalhau that makes this dish is the extremely comforting Bacalhau com Natas. Bacalhau com Natas, or Salt Cod with Cream is a delicious combination of flaky bacalhau served in a mixture of cream, potatoes, and onion, then topped with cheese and baked in the oven. It’s not to dissimilar to a fish pie found in many other parts of the world, the main difference being the Portuguese stable of bacalhau.
Sardines
If you’re visiting a coastal area during the summer months, you’ll never be far away from the intoxicating smell of grilled sardines on a charcoal BBQ! If you’re in Lisbon during early June, you might even come across the festival of Saint Anthony, or Festa dos Santos Populares. To the casual visitor it might seem that this is a festival to the grilled sardine, as entire streets are covered with charcoal grills serving grilled sardines on crusty bread!
Dourada – Dourada Assada
We could probably simply list all of the amazing fresh fish that the locals love to season with salt and throw on a charcoal grill but we’ll stick with two. The sardine mentioned above, and the Dourada or sea bream as it’s known in English. Contrasting to sardines, the dourada features firm white flesh that has relatively low amounts of oil. The fact that it’s a larger fish, that’s served gutted or butterflied, means it’s a good starter fish to try whole too! You’ll find it at most fish restaurants served with a simple salad, rice, or fries, or sometimes both!
Meats
Carne de Porco à Alentejana
Few dishes sum up the flavours of the south of Portugal quite as well as Carne de Porco à Alentejana. You’ll find the dish listed on menus across the Algarve and Alentejo and obscured from its name is the wonderful addition of local clams. The dish is intriguing and unusual for lots of cuisines as not often is pork served alongside shellfish.
Arroz de Pato – Duck Rice
Arroz de Pato is an authentic Portuguese dish which has its roots in the North of Portugal, specifically the city of Braga. It combines some of the most symbolic elements of traditional Portuguese cuisine, bay leaf, garlic, wine, and of course rice.
Piri Piri Chicken – Portuguese Grilled Chicken
Chicken Piri-Piri or Frango Piri-Piri is a popular Portuguese dish. At its most simplest, it’s a butterflied barbecued chicken served with fries and salad. What distinguishes the piri-piri chicken from other grilled chickens is the chilli glaze it receives before going on the grill – the piri piri. In Portugal, you can find it in many restaurants and churrasqueiras – places dedicated to barbecued food. You can normally choose between an entire chicken or just half of it and order with or without the chilli sauce. Since most places don’t actually serve it very hot, those who like some extra heat can ask for more piri-piri sauce.
Portuguese Feijoada à Transmontana – Portuguese Bean Stew
Feijoada is one of them! A bean stew that combines a variety of preserved sausages, pork meat, and vegetables. Traditionally, this was a good way to use as much as possible from the pig. Cuts with lesser commercial value were prioritized, including the ears, feet, and the head. As the more modern feijoada became quite customisable, these parts are not as frequently used.
Porco Preto
Porco Preto also known as the Black Iberian pig is a local breed of pig that’s found in both Portugal and Spain. Porco preto is most commonly associated with the Alentejo, which is why it’s often called Porco Preto Alentejano. Compared to the more usual farmed pig, Porco preto has a more ‘free range’ lifestyle where they feed on wild grasses and acorns. It’s estimated that a single pig can eat 10kg of acorns per day between November and March. It’s said that the diet based on acorns is what gives the meat an exceptional taste, and soft marbled meat. You’ll find Porco Preto served grilled in an array of cuts, but also used for making a variety of charcuterie like presunto and chouriço.
Desserts and Pastries
It’s time to take a look at the typical desserts and pastries of Portugal.
Arroz Doce
Arroz doce is a traditional rice-based desert, although arroz doce can be directly translated as sweet rice, it’s better known as rice pudding to our English readers. At its simplest it’s a sweet and creamy rice made with sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and lemon peel. It’s often the ‘house dessert’ of local restaurants and you’ll find it everywhere.
Bolas de Berlim
Yes, Portugal has its very own version of donuts! Believed to have been introduced to Portugal from Jewish refugees during World War II. Of course, the incoming recipe was adapted to local tastes and gained the traditional Portuguese egg cream filling. In the Azores they are known as malasadas and are typically served without fillings, only sprinkled with a mix of sugar and cinnamon. In other parts of the country, especially in the Algarve, they are known as Bolinhas de Berlim meaning Berlin little balls, in a reference to the original Berliners. They are slightly bigger than Berliners, and cut halfway through like a sandwich, stuffed with egg custard, chocolate, and other cream-based fillings.
Pastel de Nata
Could any list containing Portuguese food not include the now world famous pastéis de nata? Although originating from one particular monastery near Lisbon, Pastel de Nata now firmly represent Portuguese food and heritage across the world. What is a pastel de nata? It’s an egg custard tart made from flaky pastry. You’ll find them to be amazing warm with a cup of coffee, or even with a glass of Port as a dessert.
Portuguese Drinks
This list could keep growing and growing, there is so much to discover when it comes to Portuguese food. For now, we’ll leave it there and move on to a few of our favourite Portuguese drinks. This could easily be another lengthy article dedicated to just drinks, but we’ll try to keep it brief and offer you a selection of drinks that summarise just a little bit of the diversity available.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde, quite literally green wine is a wine from the Minho region of Portugal. The verde part refers not to the colour of the wine, but to its age, or according to some people, the region it’s from. The verde in its name supposedly refers to a translation of green to mean young. In that the wines are meant to be consumed young (around 3-6 months after harvesting). Your typical Vinho Verde is light, fresh, and ever so slightly sparkling. Due to its natural acidity, Vinho Verde wine is fresh, fruity and often has a floral or tropical aroma depending on the grapes used.
Ginjinha
Ginjinha which is often shortened to just Ginja, is a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol.The alcohol is usually a local brandy (aguardente) or a wine spirit. A sweetener is then added, and sometimes even some spices like cinnamon or clove, it’s then left to infuse for several months or longer. What results is fruity, sweet, and alcoholic drink (usually between 18-24%), that is absolutely delicious. Ginjinha is commonly associated with Óbidos, or central Lisbon. Both areas offer plenty of opportunity to taste local producers.
Medronho
In the Algarve, aguardente de medronho is a popular variety of Aguardente. Aguadente being an alcohol that translates to ‘fire water’. Medronho? well that’s a small spikey fruit found across southern Portugal, it’s also called a strawberry tree fruit. It has nothing to do with strawberries though and tastes nothing like them. The result is a clear alcohol that is usually drank neat as a digestif. It’s both very traditional and a typical drink in the south of Portugal.
Vinho do Porto – Port Wine
No list of Portuguese drinks could be written without including one of its most famous exports – Port. Vinho do Porto as it’s called in Portugal is a sweet, fortified wine. Being fortified means that during the ‘fermenting’ process it is enhanced with a grape alcohol similar to brandy. This means it contains more sugar than wine and reaches a higher alcohol content. Port – there’s no need to refer to it as Port Wine in Portugal – is widely available in various forms. These varieties differ in age, colour and sweetness, with the most famous being the Ruby Port and the Tawny Port.
Where to find the best food in Portugal?
Portuguese food is both delicious, and surprisingly intricate. One thing to remember is you need to step away from the typical tourist restaurants in the centres of its most popular spots to really discover it. Some of our favourites are the typical ‘worker food’ or ‘peasant food’, and up until recently they’re not always easy to find on menus of the most popular restaurants.
Our favourite way of eating some of these dishes is in your typical Portuguese tasca or petisqueira. These restaurants are where you’ll find petiscos (please don’t call them tapas), and you’ll be encouraged to eat a selection of them. Usually, regional favourites spread across 4 or 5 plates for a couple. In your local tasca you’ll normally always find an incredibly inexpensive house wine that will be brought to you in a jug, and a variety of desserts and Doces da Casa (house dessert) served in unpretentious bowls or cups!
What food will you try in Portugal?
Were your Portuguese favourites on this list? Let us know in the comments what food you think should be added to this article!
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