No one does it like the Portuguese (Portugese Food)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Portugese Food
Date:	28/05/09 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple, tasty, inventive home-made cooking

Disadvantages: None whatsoever unless you are not keen on seafood

Portuguese cuisine. How would I describe the food of Portugal? Simple, fresh and cooked without any fuss. Most dishes are solid and simple. with a heavy reliance on regional produce incorporating meat, fish, olive oil, coriander, tomatoes, cabbage and a touch of spice. Unlike Mediterranean dishes, fresh herbs do not play an important part. Although Portuguese food has influenced other countries like Goa and Macau it is not generally influenced other cuisines and not usually represented outside the Iberian Peninsula.

Portugal's gastronomy is varied to say that it is such a small country. Each region has its own specialities. The Estremadura region which Lisbon is part of is famous for its seafood. I have already mentioned in my Estoril review about the fascinating fishmarket in Cascais which is just outside Lisbon and the largest market in the entire country. As soon as the fish is loaded off the boats it is auctioned. A fascinating if noisy sight. Spicy sausages and pungent cheeses come from the Alentejo and the Minho regions and my beloved Algarve is famous for the use of almonds and sweet figs due to being influenced by the Moors and being very close to Africa.

Although herbs are not generally used, spices are used but only in slight amounts giving dishes a subtle flavour and depth. Remember, Vasco de Gama was the man who brought back curry spices from India and the Brazillian Peri-peri (piri-piri in Portuguese), a spice transplanted to the African colonies, is used a lot in Portuguese dishes mainly to flavour chicken and prawns.

Traditional Portuguese dishes include Caldo Verde, which is generally served luke warm, and Bacalhau, dried cod, served in a multitude of ways. Bacalhau, aslo popular in Italy and Norway, is actually imported from Norway. It is a staple cuisine and also served in Madeira where they also dry and preserve dogfish (gata) and small species of tuna called gaido in the same way. If you wish to try bacalhau at home the fish needs to be soaked for 12 hours in a large container of water before cooking to wash away the salt. I am not that mad on it to be honest although I do like Bacalhau a Bras which is a dish from the Estremadura and consists of salted cod, scambled eggs, potatoes and onions. You can find this on most cafe menus and is served as a snack or main meal. The most famous Bacalhau dish comes from the northern city of Oporto and this is basically a casserole made from potatoes, salted cod and onion. I don't mind this served with chickpeas and drizzled with olive oil.

Apart from dried cod, there is one thing that typifies Portuguese cuisine and it is of course, fish. Sardinhas (sardines), carapaus (small mackerel) and lulas (squid) are often barbecued or baked. Robalo (sea bass) is often served in fish restaurants by the coast and pargo, sargo and tamboril (varieties of bream) are also plentiful. Bream is a delicous tasty fish but tamboril even though it is a sort of bream, I don't particularly like it, as it is too bony and a bit on the fatty side. Freshwater fish such as truta (trout) and lampreia (river lamprey) appear on menus especially in the north. Caldeirada is a nourishing fish soup and one of my favourite meals. This dish is a variety of fish and shellfish mixed with rice, tomatoes, coriander and white wine. I love the smell when the waiter brings it to the table. As soon as I take the lid of the dish and breathe in those aromas I am in heaven. Clams (ameijoas) and mussels (mexilhoes) are of the highest quality and in the Algarve and around Cascais and Lisbon are always extremely fresh. Crab and squid dishes are very popular and usually are stuffed. Lulas recheadas is a dish from Lisbon though always on Algarve menus and one of my friends who lived close by me in Lagos used to live off this dish. We mustn't forget the tiny caracois. These are small snails that have usually been picked by hand in the early mornings and then sold in the markets of Lisbon and Lagos, in the Algarve. My favouriite taxi driver, Fransisco, who became a great friend when I lived over there but has sadly passed away now, was always tempting me to eat caracois. I always screwed my face up when he mentioned these little critters. I have tried French snails but not Portuguese. He used to swear that the Portuguese way was the best - fried in olive oil and garlic with a touch of sea salt and coriander.

The stalwart tuna and black headed eel-like espada takes pride on Madeira's menu which as most of you know is a Portuguese island stuck out in the middle of the Atlantic. Although the crystal clear waters of Madeira are over-fished the tuna/atum is still widely available. It appears on every menu and is typically fried and served with an accompanying spicy onion sauce. Espada is a traditional Madeiran dish with its delicious firm white flesh - not to be confused with espadarte - the more familiar swordfish. Although this evil looking creature with its razor sharp teeth occurs throughout the Atlantic in waters up to 800 metres deep, it is only fished off the coast of Madeira and in the Azores. No doubt this is due to the elaborate methods needed to catch it: fishermen head out to sea at night in small boats and lower lines over 1.5km long. Pulling in the line is usually done manually, and can often take several hours; a distinctly arduous task.

Don't worry meat lovers - there are plenty of meat dishes for you to feast your eyes on. Beef and Pork are cooked and served in a variety of ways. Borrego (lamb) and cabrito (kid) has a more delicate flavour and is often braised. Frango (chicken) makes a most enjoyable meal as most Portuguese poultry comes from free range farms. Frango is coated with dried piri-piri and olive oil and garlic and then barbecued or roasted or liquid piri-piri is poured gently over the frango. Special piri-piri chicken restaurants are to be seen all over the Algarve and possibly in Lisbon but this is mainly an Algarvian dish. I remember a good Cockney friend of mine who moved over at the same time, saying, 'I haven't travelled 2,000 miles to live in Portugal and eat bleedin' chicken and chips. I just ignored his banter - he never said that again after he had been to A Rampa - the best chicken restaurant in the Algarve. He couldn't wait to go every weekend. Suckling pig is very popular in the Minho region and one of my favourite dishes, Cozido a Portugesa is a simple, wholeseome dish made up from, pork, beef, sausages and potatoes. The Alentejo is a region next to the Algarve going west and if I hadn't lived in the Algarve I would have chosen to live in the Alentejo if only for the food. Pork- alentejo style is still a meal I cook here in Warsaw now but without the clams - that's just because I can't buy any that are of a good enough quality. Basically the pork is cubed and roasted or can be fried in olive oil, diced roasted potatoes are added with cooked clams and this is all put together in a rich white wine sauce. Pork is also cooked with mussels, potatoes, onion. white wine and tomatoes in a special copper cooking utensil called a cataplana dish. It is a dish shaped like a big clam and locks when closed to seal in the flavours. In times gone by the cataplana used to be cooked in a hole in the ground. As for Madeira they don't have too many meat dishes on their menus. The reason for this low profile is because of the cost. Beef is largely imported from the Azores or South America although pork and frango are locally farmed. The traditional celebratory dish in Madeira at Easter is cabrito (kid). Espetada is popular with Madeirans - this is like a kebab - skewered beef with laurel leaves (bay leaf) and then grilled over an open fire. On its own it makes an excellent hors d'oeuvre; as a main course, it is most commonly served with chips and salad.

Potatoes or rice are usually served with meat or fish dishes. Carrots, cauliflower and perhaps a few French beans are boiled and then coated in butter. Otherwise vegetables are added to soups, rather than served as accompaniments.

Oive oil is used widely in Portugal and I have to say that I personally think Portuguese olive oil is the best I have ever tasted. We have olive trees on our family land in the Algarve and usually once a year go back to get our quota from the land but I have run out on occasions and had to buy it from supermarkets. I am always disappointed. Even when I lived in the South of France for 2 years I was always grumbling about the olive oil. It always seems so weak and not enough body or taste to it. I can here the French, Spanish and Italian readers disagreeing with me on this one but I am sticking to my opinion.

I have already mentioned Caldo Verde - the traditional soup that originated from the Minho region. This is a green broth, made from kale and potatoes are added to give it some thickness and a slice or two of chourisco sausage to add a bit of spice. Chicken broth is another soup which is known as canja da galinha. This is not one of my favourites because there is never enough chicken in it. I always think it tastes like chicken stock with macaroni added to it although my husband adores it. If you are feeling a bit adventurous and in Madeira then you can try their national soup which is Caldeirada de lulas a Madeirense. This is a combination of seafood, ginger and curry.Or another Madeiran gem - acorda - a bread soup where shellfish, egg and garlic are added, sometimes vegetables.

There is usually only a small selection of cheeses available in restaurants, with queijo do serra (ewe's milk cheese) perhaps the best known. These cheeses from the Alentejo are wonderful and very creamy if a little salty but I tend to find in restaurants that they are replaced with the blander tipo serra which is a cheese from the hills.

However, the Portuguese love desserts (doces). Monastery bakeries have spawned many varieties of cakes often bearing unusual names such as 'heaven's bacon and 'nun's pastries'. Sugar and egg yolk are the principal ingredients with coconut, marzipan, almond and cinnamon adding extra flavour. I know I am very biased when it comes to anything Portuguese but not only do they make the best olive oil, chourisco sausage, smoked hams, chicken piri-piri - they also make the best chocolate mousse ever. It is so dark, dense, mysterious and rich. Bolo de Amendoa, an almond cake with soured cream is worth a try. Delicious but heavy. And I mustn't forget the darling of all pastries - pastel de nata - the little custard tart sold everywhere in Portugal. The best environment to taste Portugese desserts is in a pasteleria where you can eat cake with a cafezinho (small black coffee) or a small brandy such as bagaceira or aguardente.

Meal Times
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Hora do Almoco is to Portugal what the siesta is to Spain. Most restaurants will be packed full from noon until 3pm and diners will often choose the bargain 'dish of the day' or 'pratos do dia'. For tourists, a touristico menu will be available and I recommend this as it is usually a three course meal with a beer, soft drink or half a bottle of wine. Dinner is usually served at 7.30 pm, service can be slow.

Wines
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The range and quality of Portuguese wines has changed a lot over the years. Whether red or white, a simple vinho da casa ( house wine) or a special reserva, a lightly sparkling Vinho Verde or a full bodied port - all taste good and come at affordable prices. The best known DOC regions are Bairrada, Colares, Dao, Douro, Setubal and Vinho Verde. The wines from the Alentejo are my personal favourite as they are fruitier and smoother. They have become very popular in the last ten years. Fonseca from Azeitao is one of the best known names in the world of Portuguese wine.

Port
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Vinho do Porto has become something of a symbol of Portugal. Port is a fortified red or white wine, usually but not always, served with cheese or a dessert with a 20 per cent alcohol content. It is produced from grapes grown on the terraced slopes of the Douro valley between Regua and the Spanish border. Many of the famous names are English, such as Cockburn, Forrester and Offley. English domination in port production dates from the Methuen Treaty of 1703 which handed over all production and trade in port to English merchants.

**A few Portuguese words to help you order your Meal**

In the Algarve and Lisbon most Portuguese restaurant owners will speak some English, most will be fluent but the further north you travel you may struggle if you don't know any words of Portuguese. Also, I think it is courteous to at least to try and speak a few words. It will be greatly appreciated.

A table for four please - Uma mesa para quatro, faz favor

May we see the menu? - Pode-nos dar a ementa?

We'll take the set menu please - Queremos a refeicao da casa, faz favor

Could we have some more bread - Pode trazer mais pao

We'd like a drink first - Queremos uma bebida primeiro

We'd like a dessert - Queremos a sobremesa

The bill, please - A conta, faz favor

Portuguese people look at food as a way of life - simple, imaginative, traditional and inventive. They are a very social race and family orientated. Eating out is a part of everyday life.

All kinds of establishments are available from the tiniest cafes, beach shacks, rustic fincas to world class restaurants. There is always somewhere to sample and enjoy this wonderful cuisine when visiting this tiny country on the Iberian peninsula. Bon Apetite!

Summary: My favourite cuisine