Pastel de nata
It's probably Portugal's most famous food, and there's a good reason for that. Pastéis de nata (or Portuguese custard tarts as they're known outside of Portugal) are just delicious.
Bacalhau, which translates to cod in English, is Portugal's national dish, a symbol of the country's identity, and one of the most popular foods in restaurants across the country. Bacalhau is such a go-to staple in Portuguese cuisine that it even has an endearing nickname: fiel amigo, or faithful friend.
Bacalhau – Salted and Dried Codfish
Bacalhau in the market in Portugal. Considered the national dish of Portugal, Portugal's culinary repertoire boasts more than a thousand bacalhau recipes! You will fall in love with salted cod because of the delicious flavour it develops due to the salting and drying process.
Broad beans, fava beans, lupine seeds, sardines, pork sausage, and stew are common foods used in Portuguese cooking. The Estremadura region is famous for its seafood, from the common anchovy to swordfish, sole, sea bream, bass and salmon sold in markets and on menus of most restaurants.
The most common items you'll find in a Portuguese breakfast are: bread, sliced cheese, sliced ham, bread, jam, and a milky coffee. Sometimes it's just toast without the ham and cheese, but the common denominators are almost always bread and a milky coffee like a galão or a meia de leite.
Nando's (/ˈnændoʊz/; Afrikaans: [ˈnandœs]) is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in Portuguese flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries.
Cozido refers to a classic Portuguese boiled meal. Cozido à portuguesa is a type of cozido made with a plethora of meats (chicken, pork, beef), smoked sausages (chourico, morcela), vegetables (cabbage, beans, potatoes), and other ingredients.
Portuguese food is Mediterranean cuisine at its best, and like the people, it's warm, vibrant, spicy, and a little mysterious. It's also balanced, as the people's diet is filled with fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood, meat, and plenty of sweets.
Although each may have their own culture, Spain and Portugal choose to share some very similar techniques in their cuisines. Each holds a very heavy focus on seafood and shellfish dishes with profound flavors and marinades. They also choose to use a lot of cured meats, sausages, rice, and potatoes in their daily meals.
Typical Lunch in Portugal (12 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
These menus usually include a soup, prato do dia (dish of the day), dessert, and a coffee. If they're really in a rush, they'll order something quick at the counter like a soup and a bifana (pork sandwich).
In Portugal, restaurants open for lunch starting at 12:00 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. but don't usually fill up until around 1:00 p.m. Dinner is most commonly taken at 9:00 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., but restaurants do open as early as 7:00 p.m.
Licor Beirão
Simply known as Beirão, this national drink of Portugal is one you don't want to miss! Possibly the most popular Portuguese liqueur on the market, this drink originated in the Beiras region and is an excellent option for those with a sweet tooth.
What is Portugal famous for? Wine, for sure; this is where you'll find some of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world. In fact, two of Portugal's wine-growing regions, the Douro Valley and Pico Island in the Azores, are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Port Wine
This is one of the most famous Portuguese drinks ever. It is so well known and drank all over the country and even abroad – especially in the UK since their citizens appreciate this type of wine so much. Port Wine is made from distilled grape spirits exclusively made in the Douro Valley (north of Portugal).
Feijoada
Widely perceived as the national dish of Brazil, Feijoada actually originated in the countryside of Portugal. This hearty stew of beans and many cuts of different meats, perfect as a winter comfort food, can in fact be traced back to the days of the Roman Empire.
Generally speaking, typical Portuguese home-cooked food revolves around proteins such as pork, chicken and fish, legumes, vegetables (particularly leafy greens used in stews and soups which we explore further below, or simple preparations which will have them boiled or steamed), bread, cheese, and cold cuts (including ...
Some of the most famous Portuguese dishes include piri piri chicken, francesinha, bacalhau, and pastel de nata. Portugal is also quite famous for its wines.
Lisbon is famous for its delicious seafood. Because the city is nestled along the Atlantic coastline, its fishermen have access to a wide variety of fresh fish and shellfish. Travelers can enjoy traditional grilled sardines, caldeirada (a fish stew), and arroz de marisco (seafood rice) throughout the city.
Amêndoa Amarga
It's produced in many regions of Portugal, but Amêndoa Amarga from the Algarve is, by far, the most desired. This liqueur is usually served after lunch or dinner, with a small lemon peel and ice, and it's a common alternative to Porto wine or Moscatel de Setúbal.
The first Oporto restaurant was founded in 1986 by António Cerqueira, an Australian of Portuguese descent, in North Bondi, New South Wales, Australia but was originally named Portuguese Style Bondi Charcoal Chicken. The 'Oporto' name came from Cerqueira's favourite football team, FC Porto.
Traditional Portuguese Chicken, is called Peri Peri Chicken (or sometimes Piri Piri Chicken) and made with Piri Piri peppers which actually originated in South Africa, and were imported to Portugal from two Portuguese colonies, Angola and Mozambique, on spice ships.
It comes from Mozambique
PERi-PERi is an important part of Mozambique's history, as the sauce reflects the blend of cultures present in the country for centuries. PERi-PERi chicken eventually made its way across the border to South Africa, but it all started in Mozambique.