Portuguese food history In the 15th century, Prince Henry the Navigator ordered his explorers to bring back to Portugal any exotic fruits, nuts, and plants from new lands. As a result, the Age of Discovery dramatically affected cooking in Portugal and around the world. Tomatoes and potatoes were taken to Europe, Brazilian pineapples were introduced to the Azores, Brazilian chili peppers grew in Angola, African coffee was transplanted to Brazil, tea was introduced to Europeans.

Portuguese food history Today, the Portuguese fondness for cinnamon or curry powder, is a legacy from this time. But other cultures introduced new food to Portugal. The Romans brought wheat and introduced onions, garlic, olives, and grapes. Later, the Moors were the first to plant rice, introduced figs, lemons, oranges, and almond trees. Today, Portuguese food varies from region to region, but fresh fish and shellfish are found on virtually every menu.

Typical portuguese plates Grilled sardines Horse mackerel

Typical portuguese plates Lobster, shrimp, oysters, and crabs Caldeirada Arroz de marisco

Typical portuguese plates Leitão assado (roast suckling pig) Cozido à portuguesa (a thick stew of vegetables with various kinds of meat)

Typical portuguese plates chouriço" or "linguiça (pork sausages ) "tripeiros" or "tripe eaters"

Pasta Instead in IItaly people eat pasta as first plate and meat or fish as second plate. This is a typical Italian plate of pasta. In Portugal people usually eat pasta or rise mixed with meat or fish…

Bacalhau The national dish is "bacalhau," dried, salted cod. Since the early 16th century the sailors salted and sun-dried their catch to make it last the long journey home, and today there are said to be 365 different ways of preparing it, one for each day of the year. One of the most famous recipe is the “bacalhau y Gomes de Sá”.

Soups The most common soup is "caldo verde," with potatoes, shredded cabbage, and chunk of sausage. This typical plate is usually accompanied by a slice of mais bread and a plate of olives.

Dessert The most typical desserts are cinnamon-flavoured rice pudding, flan, and caramel custard, but they also often include a variety of cheeses. The most popular is “queijo da serra” from the region of Serra da Estrela.

Dessert Many of the country’s outstanding pastries were created by nuns in the 18th century. Many of their creations have interesting names like “barriga de freira” (nun’s belly), “papos de anjo” (angel’s chests), and “toucinho do céu” (bacon from heaven). A particularly delicious pastry is “pastel de nata,” a small custard tart sprinkled with cinnamon.

Ovos moles A typical cake of Aveiro is the “Ovos moles”, made with egg, sugar and rise flour. It was born inside the convents existing in the XIX century; when convents were closed, the production of “Ovos moles”has remained thanks to ladies educated by nuns.

Zabaglione Instead Zabaglione is an Italian dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, a sweet liquor (usually Marsala wine), mascarpone or whole eggs. Zabaglione originated in Venice when this city ruled the Adriatic. A change in the recipe is the use of sugar instead of honey, the original ingredient. Classical zabaglione uses raw egg yolks, but today many may prefer to prepare it in a bain-marie. Beaten egg white is also widely replaced by whipped cream.

Wine & liqueurs The most famous wines are Red Dao, Algarve wines, vinho verde, vinho dos mortos, Porto and Madeira. The most important liqueurs are Aguardente, BagaÁo, Ginginha, Amendoa Amarga and Wormwood. Wines made in Portugal are both exported abroad and consumed in the Portuguese houses and pubs. There are lots of kinds of wines: “tintos” (red), “brancos” (white), “maduros” (old) or “verdes” (young).

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