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- Kevin Raub
- AFAR Local Expert
- kevin.raub@gmail.com
- Pastel de nata (custard tart) Where to try it: Pastéis de Belém, Lisbon. Even if you know next to nothing about the cuisine of Portugal, you’re likely familiar with the country’s most famous dessert, a tiny, decadent egg tart with a satisfyingly rich taste usually for under €2.
- Polvo à Lagareiro (octopus with olive oil and potatoes) Where to try it: Páteo, Lisbon. One of the most ubiquitous dishes across the country and one nearly guaranteed to be locally sourced, polvo à Lagareiro is said to have originated in the central Portuguese region known as the Beiras.
- Porco preto (Iberian black pork) Where to try it: Taberna Típica Quarta Feira, Évora. Iberian-native black pigs (porco preto) are descendants of pigs originally brought to the peninsula by the Phoenicians, who interbred their swine with wild boars to produce the unique breed that exists today in Portugal and Spain.
- Arroz de pato (duck rice) Where to try it: Cozinha da Terra, Louredo. Pork aside, duck rice is one of Portugal’s finest meat moments, a perfect marriage of succulent duck and Carolino rice.
- Francesinha. Francesinha is a sandwich that originated in Porto, Portugal. It’s made with bread, ham, linguiça (a Portuguese sausage), and steak and covered in melted cheese and a hot sauce.
- Pastel de nata. Pastel de nata is a traditional Portuguese egg tart made with eggs, sugar, and butter. It’s often served with a cup of coffee and can be eaten hot or cold.
- Bacalhau a bras. Bacalhau a bras is a traditional Portuguese dish made with salt cod, potatoes, and onions. The key to this dish is to soak your bacalhau overnight before cooking it so that it’s soft enough for you to eat.
- Portuguese custard tarts. Custard tarts are a traditional Portuguese dessert, and they’re delicious! They’re made with puff pastry, custard, and sometimes fruit.
People also ask
What is the national dish of Portugal?
What is a Portuguese sausage?
What to eat in Portugal?
Does Portugal eat pork?
- Sardinhas assadas. Sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines) are one of the most appreciated and popular dishes in traditional Portuguese gastronomy. Due to the country's strong fishing tradition, fish is one of the main elements of many Portuguese dishes, but grilled sardines are particularly special.
- Bacalhau à Brás. Bacalhau à Brás is one of the most famous Portuguese dishes and deservedly so! This mixture of shredded codfish and fried potato sticks, olive oil, eggs, onions and parsley is very easy to prepare, but you can also find it in most Portuguese restaurants.
- Cozido à Portuguesa. The “cozido à portuguesa” is a traditional meat stew, that includes a wide variety of meats, Portuguese sausages (such as "chouriço", "morcela" and "farinheira") and vegetables.
- Caldeirada. The strong connection between Portuguese cuisine and the sea is also present in “Caldeirada”, a traditional fish stew that includes different ingredients depending on the region of Portugal where it's made.
- 16 of The Best Things You Should Eat in Portugal
- Authentic Dishes That Aren’T For Everyone
- Best Dishes from Different Regions
- Best Snacks
- Best Cakes & Pastries
- Best Desserts
- Best Drinks
- FAQs
When it comes to food in Portugal, the main question people have is what are the absolute best things that I should eat in Portugal? What should I look out for and prioritise? The following are some of the absolute best things. Some are regional, which means they’ll be difficult to find outside of that region, but many are available nationally.
In practice, you probably won’t come across too many of the weird ones as they’re mainly found in rural parts of Portugal but you may come across some of the following: 1. Cozido à portuguesa– While incredibly authentic (especially the version on Ilha de São Miguel in The Azores), this dish is meaty, heavy, and often quite fatty or chewy. It’s not ...
Food is incredibly regional in Portugal. While you’ll find pastéis de nata and bacalhau dishes everywhere, some dishes are really difficult to find outside of their native region. Cataplanas, which come from the Algarve, are a good example of this. If you’ve worked your way through some of the best Portuguese dishes overall, this section will help ...
Portugal has a lot of meal options, but it also has plenty of snacks just in case you get hungry in-between meals. Here are a few of the best ones to look out for. Bifana – One of Portugal’s best sandwiches, this simple pork sandwich is perfect for a mid-afternoon snack. Pastéis de bacalhau– Made from Portugal’s favourite ingredient, bacalhau, past...
Although most people have never tried a Portuguese cake besides the pastel de nata, there are literally hundreds of different cakes and pastries. Some are more common than others, and some are only found in certain regions of Portugal, but here are a few to look out for. Pastel de Nata– Every trip to Portugal deserves at least one pastel de nata, i...
Sericaia – Originating from the Alentejo, this dessert is a favourite across Portugal and one you sometimes find on menus in other parts of the country. Pudim Abade de Priscos– Commonly found in Braga, this dessert is delightfully sweet and sticky and one you’ll find yourself ordering again and again. Mista Algarvia– Hailing from the Algarve, and a...
Port wine– Portugal produces some great wines but Port wine, its most famous dessert wine, is arguably its best wine. Vinho Verde– A light, frizzy, and low-alcohol wine, Vinho Verde is a crowd-pleaser, particularly during the warmer summer months. Medronho – Made from Medronho berries, aguardente de medronho is a clear spirit whose potency ranges f...
Is Portuguese food spicy? No, not really. Piri-piri chickencan be spicy, although it usually isn’t that hot. Generally, chilli isn’t used that much in Portuguese cookery. Is Portuguese food vegetarian-friendly? Begin a vegetarian in Portugal is challenging. It’s very hard to find a traditional Portuguese dish that doesn’t contain meat or fish, but ...
Jun 28, 2017 · Bread, rice, spices, pastries, sausages, and seafood — especially cod — remain the staples of many Portuguese meals. Bread and Rice. Wheat bread has been a standard of the Portuguese table since...
- Célia Pedroso
Mar 11, 2024 · Portuguese monkfish stew with rice. It’s a classic Portuguese dish made with monkfish and rice and a host of other ingredients like tomato sauce, bell pepper, onion, garlic, chili, and coriander. Monkfish is delicious. It’s a type of anglerfish found in the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Simple Portuguese cuisine at its finest, these farmer’s carrots are enhanced with a little garlic, a splash of vinegar and olive oil, then finished off with a sprinkle of oregano and cumin. Easy, fresh, and oh so delicious. Taste the best Algarvian cuisine with this 3-hour Algarve classic food tour.
