Bacalhau is cod that has been preserved by being salt-dried, and it's Portugal's national dish.
The fleets of codfish fishing boats guaranteed 70% of national codfish consumption, helping to make the Portuguese the world's largest consumers of this fish. And the codfish became the “Loyal Friend“, symbol of culture and Portugal.
The best seafood in Lisbon is some of the best anywhere. While the country's beloved cod comes to Lisbon preserved in salt, it's still as essential as, say, tuna or clams caught just off shore. The shellfish and octopus from the south of the country are some of the world's best.
Highlights. Salmon, tuna, cod, hake and sardines are the fish species most commonly consumed raw in Portugal.
Portuguese cuisine is famous for its delicious seafood. Beyond Bacalhau or Portuguese codfish and sardines, octopus or polvo is another popular Portuguese seafood dish loved by all. Polvo à la lagareiro is a famous octopus dish that you will find across the country.
Wine. 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.
Bacalhau
The national dish of Portugal, bacalhau is dried and salted codfish, which is usually soaked in milk or water before cooking. The Portuguese have been eating bacalhau since the 16th century when their fishing boats brought it back from Newfoundland.
Portugal is famous for its typical seafood dishes, popular beach destinations, and 16th to 19th-century architecture, from when this country was a powerful maritime empire. It's also known for its soccer legends, fado music, historical cities, and port wine. Let's go over the 15 things that Portugal is known for!
A lot of Portuguese dishes are made up of meat – especially pork and chicken. Pork is the most popular meat dish available, whether you want chops, ribs or legs! One of their most well liked meat dishes is Rojoes a Moda do Minho – chunks of pork loin that is cooked in pigs lard.
Portugal is a great destination for foodies, especially seafood lovers. The Portuguese coast supplies some of the freshest fish and seafood in the world and fish is the star of many dishes in the country's gastronomical scene (surely you have heard about “Bacalhau”).
In addition to the marlin, there are resident albacore, dorado, spearfish, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, skipjack, amberjack, and wahoo, ensuring there is fishing all year around. Blue sharks are the most commonly caught shark, but it is not unheard of to catch Mako and hammerhead, too.
The swallow (andorinha, in Portuguese) is a symbol of Portugal so subtly synonymous with the culture that travelers may not even notice it.
Most people think that Fish and Chips originated in England, this is not actually true. The real history of Fish and Chips is traced back to 15th Century Portugal where the dish really was invented. Like so many other famous dishes, fish and chips was created out of necessity, not culinary genius.
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.
Most people make the assumption that Nando's is Portuguese, on account of the name (and the logo) and the style of cooking, however it will come as a surprise to many that the Nando's origin is actually in South Africa.
In terms of GDP, Portugal is not necessarily considered a “rich” country, ranking number 47 worldwide. A country's richness cannot also be measured solely through GDP. However, the Portuguese economy has been growing in recent years, despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Portugal is the oldest country in Europe. It has had the same defined borders since 1139. It's no surprise that Portuguese is the official language of 9 countries with over 236 million people speaking it around the world.
Fruit. Pêra Rocha (pears), Maçã de Alcobaça (apples), Cova da Beira's cherries, a number of chestnut producing regions, and the Laranja do Algarve (oranges), are examples of well-known Portuguese certified products.
Pastel de Nata are the most famous Portuguese dessert. They are deliciously irresistible. The combination of blistered, caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry is a match made in heaven.
Bacalhau
Together with pastel de nata, bacalhau is perhaps the most well-known dish in Portuguese cuisine. It's a Portuguese national dish and far and away the most commonly eaten type of fish in Portugal.