Oh, beautiful Portugal, the neighboring country of Spain. From Lisbon to Porto, the experiences are endless. While you’re here, be sure to spot and take snapshots of Medieval castles, cobblestone villages, golden beaches, and many more. Of course, the intertwining of these sceneries with history and tasty food cannot be denied.
And, speaking of Portugal’s food scene, it’s always a delightful and sumptuous mix of fresh and high-quality ingredients, the fusion of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, like sea waves hitting the sands. Find pleasure in Portuguese seafood, hearty meat dishes, and yummy pastries.
Ever heard of bacalhau or salted cod? Or pastel de nata or custard tarts? Let’s take a closer look at these tastiest dishes in Portugal. Plus, care about hiring a private chef in Lisbon? Read on!
10 Tastiest, Most Authentic, And Must-Try Dishes In Portugal
Be prepared for a culinary journey, Portuguese-style!
1. Pastel De Nata
There’s no way you could miss this from the crowd. Simply put, these are the world’s famous egg custard tarts. Think of Lord Stow’s Bakery in Macao, will you? After all, this East Asian region has been colonized by the Portuguese.
But, the experience with pastel de nata in their home country itself is one-of-a-kind. It carries a rich history dating back to the 1900s in Lisbon, the age of the Titanic. Interestingly, the first of them were created by Catholic monks at a monastery, who used egg whites to starch their clothes. The leftover yolks were used to make the custard filling, hence the tarts.
2. Peixe Grelhado
Or grilled fish. Dating back to ancient times when the Portuguese coastal communities had no choice but to have fish as their staple food, the most authentic peixe grelhado are drizzled in olive oil, sprinkled with salt chunks, and grilled over charcoal until their skin turns crispy. It’s all about that bass! Pun intended.
3. Alheira De Mirandela
It looks like an ordinary Spanish sausage, but there’s more to your dose of alheira de Mirandela. The name says it comes from the Jewish people of Mirandela during the dreaded Inquisition period, created as a way for the Jews to disguise their identity and faith to avoid persecution.
It resembles authentic chorizo, but it is filled with bread, poultry, and game meats instead of pork. This allowed Jews to appear to be eating what was forbidden in their region to escape punishment.
4. Bacalhau
The name “Portugal” says a lot about the dishes in this country, which are mostly on seafood. Bacalhau, or salted, dried cod, became popular during the Age of Exploration in the 1500s and 1600s when the Portuguese needed a way to preserve food and enjoy it while on voyages on the seas.
5. Bifana
In English, this is a decadent sandwich. The ingredients are thinly sliced pork marinated in a mixture of garlic and white wine, then fried in a lardy sauce, and finally, slapped in between the folds of a Portuguese roll. Like Vietnamese sandwiches, they’re popular as street foods in this country.
6. Caldo Verde
If Spain offers the arroz caldo soup, especially for those who are ill with a fever, Portugal has the caldo verde. However, unlike the Spanish counterpart that centers on rice, this soup has lots of vegetables – potatoes, kale, onions, and garlic – with chorizo, or linguica sausage, or Portuguese sausage.
7. Carne De Porco Alentejana
What do you get when clams go with pork? None other than the carne de porco alentejana. In English, it’s simply pork with clams, duh. The ingredients include paprika, garlic, bay leaf, and coriander. It’s the perfect dish that you should try at home. However, this is also very popular during fiestas in the country, of course. The dish was first introduced by the Moors during their occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. A comfort food, indeed.
8. Ovas
You might be playing naive if you don’t notice this list featuring lots of seafood. Ovas is an authentically unique dish. Can you drop a guess? For sure, and it’s not a main course but rather more of a salad that has egg sacs tossed against onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. In your language, it’s called the fish roe, popular in the Algarve region.
9. Sardinhas Assadas
This one, you’re more familiar with. If there are Spanish sardines, Portugal is proud of its sardinhas assadas. Sardinia is in Italy, so what’s the fuss here? Sardinhas assadas is likewise a beloved recipe in Portuguese cuisine, especially when it’s summer, when the fish are in season in the coastal waters.
Typically, this assadas dish involves grilled sardines cooked over an open flame, which gives the fish a smoky flavor and crispy skin. Add some olive oil, and voila! You have an irresistible plate.
10. Salame De Chocolate
What are all those dishes without having a dessert? Salame de chocolate is popular both in Portugal and Italy. You can purchase them from various food shops and pastelarias in this tiny western European country. It is a mix of dark chocolate, nuts, and cookies that, when served, is a tough competitor for the pastel de natas. Make your choice.
Hiring Private Chefs In Lisbon
Are you ready? Usually, your next step upon learning of all those delights is to proceed to Google, look for those dishes, find restaurants, or get them from your local food delivery app. Acceptable. But don’t you think it’d be more fulfilling to invite a private chef over to cook those dishes for you? That way, the experience is more personalized. Let’s take a more vivid look.
Private chefs are distinct from restaurant chefs or even those chefs invited on TV shows in that they are hired to prepare meals right there in your own kitchen. They’re very beneficial when you don’t know how to cook those foods but want them served at your own dining area, tasting like how they do in upscale restaurants.
The benefits of hiring private chefs in Lisbon are:
- Convenience and time management
- Customized and personalized menus
- Expertise and culinary skills
- Health and nutrition
- Specialized services
- Less stress Culinary education and exploration
What’s better than learning the history of the dishes from trained chefs themselves, like hosting your own food show? Go ahead and connect with a private chef in Lisbon and globally today.