Holidays in Portugal: Explore its culinary excellence!
The famous explorers and sailors of Portugal along with its lengthy coastline and age-long traditions have blessed the country with a unique seafood cuisine. Flavoured with the addition of spices carried from faraway lands, Portuguese cuisine is a tasty marvel definitely worth of exploring during your holidays in Portugal. It might be mainly fish oriented, but the local dishes don’t stop at fish produce despite mostly revolving around it. In this article we’ll take you through some of the amazing tastes of Portugal and if you don’t start drooling immediately like us, wait until you try it yourself.
Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa
Starting with one of the most renowned dishes of Portuguese cuisine, the widely used and versatile bacalhau (salted cod) is prepared into a flavourful dish which is amongst the best you could try on your holidays in Portugal. In order to prepare it, the bacalhau is unsalted and flaked and then put in layers covered by sautéed onions, garlic and potatoes. The mixture is then baked in the oven until crisp and golden and served along with boiled eggs, olives and parsley for an irresistible and fulfilling combination.
Arroz de Marisco
Portugal never has enough of seafood and this rice and seafood based dish is a prime example! Based on fresh sea produce, shrimps, prawns, clams, shellfish, lobster and crab are combined into a salty, tasty paella-like dish. Prepared with fish stock and spiced up with the addition of chili, fresh coriander, onion, garlic and lemon juice, this distinct dish owes its unique orange colour to the addition of tomato paste. Nutritious, traditional and delicious, this dish embodies the country spirit and it’s something to savour during your holidays in Portugal.
Caldo Verde
If you happen to be on holidays in Portugal around national celebrations, this hearty soup is what you must have. Straying from the use of fish as it is based on vegetables, this dish is suitable for vegetarians and as tasty as a good soup could ever get! The basic ingredients are potatoes, kale, onion, garlic and olive oil produced locally and the taste is something spectacular. In many areas around Portugal things are spiced up with chorizo or smoky and flavourful Linguiça added at the end of preparation for a tasty, meaty twist to the traditional ingredients.
Tripas a Moda do Porto
One of Porto’s essential dishes as the name suggests, this hearty stew is not for the faint of heart. Based on yearlong traditions and dating back to Portugal’s colonial past, this dish was made by townspeople in the ports with left over tripe as they provided most of their meat to the Portuguese troops based in Africa. In order to make it, tripe and most often ribs are used with the addition of white beans in order to form a dish that will certainly reward you if you dare to try it. Bay leaves, celery, carrot, onion, coriander and garlic are combined in order to give it its distinct taste and white wine gives it that little extra something which makes this traditional recipe unique.
In all the Portuguese cuisine is well varied and hearty, making holidays in Portugal a well-rewarding culinary adventure.