Portuguese Food: Really the Best in the World?
Hello, my name is Ismail Siddiky of Europe Diary. Today, I’m talking about “Portuguese food really being the best in the world.” Let’s start today’s blog.
In today’s episode, we are going to check out the simple genius culinary cuisine of Portugal.
I think that there is only one country, on average per capita, that eats more French fries than Americans, and that’s the Portuguese. Now, I will have to say that you will probably not enjoy traditional Portuguese food very much if you are vegan. But thankfully, there are a lot of wonderful vegan restaurants popping up all over Portugal for your vegan needs. As a kind disclaimer, I would stop now if pork or seafood offends you.
Porco à Alentejana
Usually, I save the best for last, but I am doing the opposite here. This is one of my favorite dishes of all time in Portugal, and it bangs. Porco à Alentejana, which basically means pork prepared in the style of Alentejo, consists of pork and clams, usually served with potatoes and cilantro.
The pork is usually marinated for some time in one of the best marinades ever created. It’s basically white wine, garlic, and a bunch of amazing herbs and spices. If done correctly, the pork will melt in your mouth and absorb all the rich flavors of the marinade. It is disputed by some that it comes from Alverca do Ribatejo, about 30 minutes northeast of Lisbon.
But if you see Porco à Alentejana as a prato do dia or plate of the day, definitely get it.
Frango Assado or Piri Piri Chicken
Frango Assado translates to roasted chicken, and man, do the Portuguese know how to roast some chicken! When chili hot sauce is added to the mix, it’s called Piri Piri chicken. In Portugal, chicken is usually roasted over an open fire to give it that nice char that isn’t so healthy but definitely tastes amazing. If you’re from the United States, you may be a little surprised at how the chicken is cut here, but fear not. It’s the same bird you know and love.
One of the most famous places to get Piri Piri chicken is in the Algarve, in a small village called Guia, but you can pretty much find it anywhere in the country. It is typically served with a nice helping of French fries, called batata frita, and a nice little salad.
Francesinha
One sandwich with more cholesterol, meat, and cheese than almost any in the United States. This is the sandwich your cardiologist warned you about, but it’s good—real good. Most people from Porto will tell you that the Francesinha is one of the best culinary creations ever invented. For me, you have to make sure that you visit one of the good places in Porto, not the tourist traps, not the Francesinha sauce you can buy in the supermarket. So far, I have been to Brasão and Tappas Caffé Porto, and both places know how it’s done.
The sandwich, which translates to “Little French,” apparently was invented when a Portuguese man named Daniel da Silva immigrated to France and came back to Porto. He deconstructed the croque monsieur and put it back together with Portuguese products, although it seems like something that was invented by someone who was very, very stoned.
The sandwich is constructed like this: two pieces of white bread, two pieces of cow’s milk cheese, two pieces of mortadella ham, and a grilled beefsteak filet. Then some Portuguese linguiça, smoked sausages, are added. The bread is then placed on top of the sandwich, then more cheese is added on top to create a cheese blanket. It is then drowned in a beer sauce with tomato, maybe some shrimp, and other secret spices. It is then put into a clay brick oven, which gives it a very distinctive taste and, from what I’ve been told, is extremely important to the flavor. Then it comes out of the oven, and a sunny-side-up egg is placed on top. It is then served with that same beer sauce, which is delightful for dipping your fries into. And that, my friends, is the Francesinha.
Sapateira
This is basically a crab dip from heaven. There can be hardboiled egg, beer, mustard, all blended together with the innards of the crab to create one of the best dips ever. In my opinion, Anthony Bourdain almost fell out of his chair when he had this at Cervejaria Ramiro in Lisbon, but you can definitely find it in all the towns and villages along the coast of Portugal.
And believe me, this stuff is good. This stuff is too good. Usually, it’s served with buttery garlic bread, but be careful because this stuff is highly addictive. Is there a Sapateira Anonymous anywhere around here?
Bifana
Americans are obsessed with the hamburger, and the Portuguese are obsessed with the Bifana. Now, there are a couple of different kinds of Bifanas depending on where you are in the country.
In the north, you can have a Bifana de Leitão, which is baby suckling pig. In most of the country, you can get a Bifana with a strip of pork. And then you have the Prego, which is a steak sandwich made with beef. These are all usually served with delicious brick-oven bread, and there are many different variations around the country. It’s very important that you go to a good place for these, as there are some places with dry, tough, and chewy meat that is definitely not the business. Usually, the dirtier and older the place, the better.
Arroz de Marisco
Now, this is definitely one of my favorite seafood dishes of all time. It literally translates to seafood rice, and to me, the consistency is somewhere between an Italian risotto and a Spanish paella, which is amazing because I think some paellas can be quite dry for my taste. It usually comprises a variety of shellfish, peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and short-grain rice, making it an indulgent and delicious dish. A perfect medley of shrimp, clams, and mussels cooked in a white wine garlic sauce and onion, seasoned with cilantro. It becomes utterly apparent that the Portuguese certainly know how to cook seafood.
And like most seafood on this list, I would highly recommend trying this dish in a coastal town known for their seafood, like Nazaré.
Caldo Verde
Now, for all of you health nuts out there, this kale and cabbage soup is almost healthy, and it would be until they add the smoked chouriço, which is known to the state of California to cause cancer. But it is good, my friends. It is oh so good.
On a cold rainy day in Portugal, there is nothing more comforting than a nice bowl of Caldo Verde served in a clay bowl. This is simple food that nourishes your soul. You can find this soup scattered all throughout Portugal, even in the trendiest restaurants doing fancy interpretations of it. But the best will always be in a grandma’s house in the countryside.
Choco Frito
Choco Frito basically stands for fried cuttlefish. Now, it is in the same family as squid; however, in my opinion, cuttlefish reigns supreme when comparing it with calamari.
The pieces are usually much bigger and, in my opinion, when cooked correctly, much more tender. This is a very typical dish in the Setúbal region, which is about 45 minutes south of Lisbon. It is usually served with a side of French fries and a salad, and I would highly recommend trying this if you are in this region.
Migas
This is basically the Portuguese equivalent to stuffing in America, best known in the Alentejo region. It has broken-up pieces of delicious Portuguese wheat bread soaked and cooked in pork fat. I mean, what doesn’t taste good when it’s soaked in fat? Usually with some green cabbage and sometimes beans, it is such a delicious, filling side that goes along with seafood, meat, bacon, pork—pretty much anything.
Bacalhau à Lagareiro
This is it, folks—the best for last, and I couldn’t write a blog about Portuguese cuisine and not include Portugal’s most beloved fish, codfish, aka bacalhau. It is crazy to think that with all the seafood along Portugal’s shore, the one they are most obsessed with and have been eating for centuries is actually from the shores of Norway and Newfoundland.
Back in the 1500s, Portuguese fishermen would sail to the far, far north and catch these fish and then salt them so that they could have them for the rest of the journey.
Now, my favorite way to eat bacalhau is Bacalhau à Lagareiro, where the fish is drenched in the best olive oil and then roasted with garlic, onions, and herbs, served with smashed roasted potatoes. This dish just screams simplicity, but the olive oil they use is incredible. Simplicity at its best.
There are literally hundreds of ways to cook bacalhau—one for each day of the year. If you are in Portugal, don’t be afraid to try this dish.
Thank you guys so much for reading my blog. If you want to see more blogs like this, then be sure to stay with us because I will be writing posts like this every single day. This is Ismail, and I will see you next time—time to go eat some food!
Bye!!
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