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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.
- Traditional Portuguese Food
- Pastel de Nata
- Peixe Grelhado
- Sardinhas
- Piri Piri Chicken
- Peixinhos Da Horta
- Olive Oil
- Arroz de Pato
- Picanha
- Bacalhau
Excited to try some traditional Portuguese foods? You should be. Portuguese recipes burst with flavor – whether coated in a spicy sauce or drizzled with lemon juice. These are the ten best Portuguese dishes for you to try.
Pastel de nata is a Portuguese dessert and one of our favorite Portuguese dishes. The crispy pastry is filled with soft egg custard, typically sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar – much like a creme brulee. Pastel de nata is served bite-sized and is best enjoyed fresh and still slightly hot from the oven. If you are looking for a sweet treat...
Peixe Grelhado translates as grilled fish, and the dish is served as just that. If you order this at a restaurant, you can expect an entire grilled fish served on your plate (skin and head and all). It can be a daunting experience, but as soon as you take your first bite, any skepticism or hesitancy will be alleviated. You’ll also get to taste the ...
Freshly grilled sardines are a juicy, staple dish in Portuguese gastronomy. Historically, grilled sardines were a dish of the lower classes, thanks to their low cost and high nutrient level. Even now, the dish is probably the most affordable seafood dish you could try in Portugal. Grilled sardines make a great snack or light lunch. Sardines have a ...
Who hasn’t heard of Piri Piri chicken? The super chain restaurant Nandos has spread the dish across the globe, and it is now a household name, not just Portugal’s national dish. It is easily one of the most famous Portuguese dishes. The famous dish is unique because of the sauce that it coats its chicken in. It’s a little spicy and sweet, typically...
Get ready for one of the Portuguese cuisine’s most bizarre (but delicious) appetizers. Peixinhos da Horta is fried green beans coated in a light batter and typically served for lunch. Peixinhos da Horta translates as ‘little fishes from the garden’, and the dish was initially prepared on Portuguese ships to prevent vegetables from going bad. The pr...
Olive oil isn’t really a Portuguese food in itself. However, it is so carefully manufactured and important in Portuguese foods that we are giving it a section in its own right. It is also a vital ingredient in many Portuguese dishes, so where better to start than with one of the foundation blocks of Portuguese cuisine? Portugal is one of the larges...
Arroz de pato is one of the most typical Portuguese dishes. The dish’s name translates literally as ‘duck rice’, and it consists of precisely that. The rice is flavored with garlic, bay leaves wine, and plenty of sliced chorizo. The dish packs an intense, flavorsome punch. Arroz de pato uses rice prepared similarly to risotto, sauteed with onions a...
Picanha is a popular beef cut cooked traditionally over a Brazilian barbeque. A Brazilian barbeque, you may be wondering, why Brazilian? Brazil is one of the former Portuguese colonies, and Portugal adopted the dish when its armies arrived there. While still massively popular in Brazil, Picanha is now also hugely popular in Portugal. So popular, in...
Portuguese love seafood: it is no secret. And if you want to try another national dish of Portugal, add bacalhau to your list of seafood dishes to try. Bacalhau means cod in Portuguese, and a bacalhau dish contains dried and salted cod. The taste is unique, and despite being salted, remains mild tasting and quite sweet. Surprisingly given the amoun...
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What to eat in Portugal?
- Caldo Verde. Caldo Verde, an iconic traditional dish of Portugal, also known as kale soup or green soup, is highly popular among the locals and tourists alike.
- Bacalhau à Brás. Bacalhau à Brás is a dish consisting of salted cod, straw potatoes and eggs that are seasoned and stir-fried together to create a creamy meal.
- Arroz De Pato. Arroz de pato is a dish made with rice and duck and aromatic herbs like garlic and bay leaf which truly represent the flavors of Portugal.
- Bifanas. Bifanas are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with pork slices that are poached in a sauce of paprika and white wine. Usually served with Piri Piri and mustard sauce, they are one of the most famous snacks of Portugal.
This list of 40 traditional Portuguese foods to try in Portugal scratches the surface of what Portuguese cuisine can offer. There are so many local dishes that can be enjoyed, and the farther you go from the big cities and the touristy areas (such as the Algarve or Lisbon), the easier it gets to find local and unique dishes that are hardly on ...
Traditional Portuguese food – 26 best dishes to eat in Portugal. by Claudia Bastos. Portuguese food isn’t as famous as French, Italian, or even Spanish, but it has strongly influenced world cuisine. Portuguese have changed history by cruising the world during the age of discoveries.
- Claudia Bastos
Feb 28, 2024 · This article highlights the best and most typical Portuguese dishes that you’ll find on a Portuguese menu. It also covers: The best dishes by region. What to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The best snacks, petiscos (similar to tapas), cakes, desserts, and drinks.
Despite being relatively restricted to an Atlantic, Celtic sustenance, the Portuguese cuisine also has strong French and Mediterranean influences. The influence of Portugal's spice trade in the East Indies , Africa , and the Americas is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used.
