25 Portuguese specialties to discover

Pastéis de nata, bacalhau à brás, francesinha... Here are the best Portuguese specialties to enjoy the time of your stay!

Want sun, lush landscapes and warmth? Baggage and direction Portugal! Renowned for football, the fado and surfing, Portugal is also The place to be for amateur and gastronomy enthusiasts. Indeed, Portuguese specialties mix both tradition, terroir and originality. Of course, these dishes are synonymous with sharing, but especially taste. To put you in appetite, Wanderlix has developed a map of the best Portuguese dishes: pork carne in Alentejo, vinho verde, bifana... and many more!

Are you in advance? Trust the Chef for this round of Portuguese specialities!

Tim-tim (Tchin-Tchin)

We couldn't make a ranking of Portuguese specialties without making an apartement on drinks. Portuguese people like to party and it looks like it! Indeed, wine and beer enthusiasts, each event is, for them, the opportunity to cheat! Here is the map of the best known drinks in Portugal.

If you consume this aperitif glass, don’t hesitate to accompany it petiscos (Portuguese tapas).

• Porto: It is the most famous Portuguese wine whose reputation is no longer to be made. Output in the Douro region, the porto is divided into several families: Ruby style, Tawny style, Whites and Rosés. It's for all tastes! Thus, this wine will necessarily be unanimous around a table!
• Beer: Just like the porto, it is a must in Portugal! If you don't know Super Bock and Sagres, we invite you to take a pint. Light and refreshing, Portuguese beers are good, however nothing comparable to Belgian beers.
• Vinho verde : so called because it is made with young grapes, it is very often white, but can also be red or rosé. Fresh, fruity and sparkling, it blends very well with the products of the sea from which its omnipresence to Lisbon !
• Ginjinha: This cherry liqueur is as well known for its sweet taste as for the small ritual that accompanies it. Indeed, when you order, you must specify com elas (with cherries) or sem elas (without cherries). Do not misunderstand it, despite its delicious taste, this liqueur reaches almost 20% alcohol, so it must be consumed in moderation.
• Moscatel: elaborated in the region Trás-os-Montes, this white wine is sweet and sweet. It looks strongly like the muscat produced in France. Thus, this wine is ideal for an aperitif between friends or, during an evening, served as a digestive.

Como entrada (As an entrance)

Portuguese rafting individual portions to snack. This spirit of sharing is found especially in their entries that they usually like to eat with the fingers. Here are some Portuguese specialties to taste during your stay.

• Pastéis de bacalhau : Portuguese cod acras are without any doubt, one of the country's emblematic Portuguese specialties! Made from potatoes, cod, onions and parsley, these hot or cold amuse-bosses are consumed both in aperitif and intake. Gourmands, enjoy them with moderation, otherwise you will not be hungry for the rest!
• Salada de polvo : The simplest is often the best! This marinated and seasoned octopus salad does not derogate from the rule. Fresh and full of flavours, Team Wanderlix asks again!
• Caldo verde : It is a thick soup of green cabbage. Fancy at first sight, this broth is actually a delight especially when you add slices of sausage and bread.
• Peixinhos da horta : translated literally, it means small fish in the garden : admit it is poetic so it makes you want! On your plate, you will simply find vegetable tempuras. The name makes dream, but the description is not transcendent: wait to taste before judging! Indeed, you will ask again so much it’s good!
• Bifana: it’s a typical Portuguese sandwich. Made in papo seco (Portuguese bread based on potato flakes), this sandwich contains fine scalopes of marinated pork and sprinkled with cooking juice (no doubt the secret da its delicious taste).

O main prato (Resitance dish)

After this mouthing, it's time to go to resistance dishes! Portuguese are big eaters and we feel it in their hearty dishes based on several ingredients. Here is a small overview of some Portuguese specialties to taste as soon as possible!

A based on seafood

• Caldeirada de Peixe : Marseille only has to be held since the Portuguese also have their bouillabaisse! It is a thick cooked fish stew with different types of fish, crustaceans, and covered with tomatoes and herbs. However, depending on regions and traditions, the recipe varies.
• Bacalhau à brás : This is one of the most popular recipes in Portugal. This dish consists of cod cut into small filaments, mixed with onion lams, then very fine fries, as well as eggs and olives. Delicious to wish, this dish is one of the favourites of the writing!
• Amêijoas in Bulhão Pato : This dish consists of palourdes with a sauce made of olive oil, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper and sometimes dry white wine. This Portuguese specialty is delicious and tasty, especially thanks to the pieces of bread bathing in the sauce. Can we get the recipe please?
• Sardinhas assadas : It is a speciality of Lisbon that one eats on the thumb during local holidays, between neighbors, family or friends. It is simply grilled sardines with barbecue and grilled pepper salad or cooked vegetables. Simple but effective, this dish will hold you for a whole day to toad in the streets of Lisbon.

Meat base

• Carne de porco a Alentejo : This Portuguese specialty is a Terre and Sea dish based on fried pork pieces, paprika, palourdes and potatoes. You are probably wondering if this association is of good taste. Well, yes! This dish will appeal to seafood lovers as well as to meat lovers!
• Moelas: These are poultry gizzards in a spicy sauce (tomate, olive oil, laurel and paprika). This dish is often served with fries or rice.
• Francesinha: cocorico !!! This sandwich is called the small French to remember the Napoleonic invasions. At that time, the soldiers used to eat bread with meat and a lot of cheese. In spite of the years, the recipe has not changed: it is still a sort of XXL croque-monsieur. Accompanied with a pint, it is a little expensive and delicious snack.
• Cozido à portuguesa : many Portuguese specialties are dishes in sauce, and cozido is no exception. It is a chicken stew, beef, pork and various other pork sausages accompanied by rice. If we had to compare it to a French dish, it would be like a pot-au-feu, so greedy and consistent.
• Alheira de Mirandela : How do we talk about Portuguese specialties without talking about charcuterie? Meat lovers, Portuguese especially love smoked sausages chouriços (sauce made from pork). Alheira de Mirandela is usually served with an egg on the dish and fries.

Finale, a sobremesa! (To finish, dessert!)

A dream of salty dishes, it's time to go to sweet. And be without fear, the Portuguese rafting desserts: this is proof!

• Pastéis de nata : it is one of the Portuguese specialties that makes the head of the tourists but also of the inhabitants. Originally from Lisbon, this pastry flan was designed in the early 19th century to monastery of the Hironymites, in the neighborhood Belém. According to the newspaper The Guardian This is one of the 50 best things to eat in the world! What are you waiting for? Go!
• Queijadas de Sintra : These are typical small cheesecakes from the city of Sintra. After having visited the Palacio de Pena or Château des Maures, why not stop in a pastry shop to taste this delight?
• Bolo Rei: It is a traditional Portuguese cake made of soft paste, candied fruit and dried fruit as a garnish. You will find it only during the holidays, so either Christmas or Epiphany. If you spend the holidays in Portugal, enjoy it to taste it, you will not be disappointed.
• Arroz Doce: This recipe will bring you back to childhood! Simple rice with Portuguese milk, this dessert is no less tasty and creamy. This recipe will crack more than one!
• Creme de Leite : to give you a glimpse, this dessert is very close to French burned cream and Spanish Catalan cream. Just as gourmet, but lighter than usual desserts, we recommend it to finish your meal.
• Chocolate Salame: A little sausage to finish? Don’t worry, it’s just a chocolate salami! It’s all about powdered chocolate, butter, eggs and pieces of cookies. Gourmets can't resist!

You now know Portuguese specialties! Bom apetite !