Traditional Dishes

Pratos tradicionais

Cuisine often tells you more about a country than museums and tourist attractions. Portuguese cuisine may seem simple at first glance, but behind many dishes there are centuries of maritime history, poor rural cooking traditions, monastery recipes, and strong regional influences. These are some of the foods I kept encountering while traveling around Portugal — from fishing villages to mountain towns.

Bacalhau (Salt Cod)

Probably the most famous food in Portugal. Bacalhau is salted and dried codfish. Historically, the fish was imported from the cold northern waters of Norway and Newfoundland. Before refrigeration existed, salting was one of the main methods of preserving fish for long sea voyages and winter storage.

The Portuguese like to say they have “365 recipes for bacalhau” — one for every day of the year. In reality, there are probably many more.

Some of the most popular versions are:

• bacalhau à brás — shredded cod with onions, eggs, and thin fries (my favorite;

• bacalhau com natas — baked cod with cream;

• bacalhau assado — grilled or roasted cod with olive oil and potatoes.

You will find bacalhau almost everywhere in Portugal, especially in family-run restaurants and traditional taverns.

Chouriço Assado (Flaming Sausage)

One of the most atmospheric Portuguese appetizers. Smoked chouriço sausage is served in a special ceramic dish shaped like a small boat. A bit of alcohol — usually aguardente — is poured underneath and set on fire directly at the table.

The sausage slowly grills over the open flame and becomes even more aromatic.

This is especially common in traditional taverns and meat restaurants in central and northern Portugal.

Caldo Verde

One of the most traditional soups in Portugal. It originally comes from the northern Minho region, but today it is eaten throughout the entire country.

Caldo verde is made with potatoes, onions, olive oil, and very thinly sliced kale or collard greens. It is usually served with slices of chouriço sausage and rustic bread.

Originally, this was simple peasant food — inexpensive, filling, and easy to cook in large pots. Even today, caldo verde still feels like homemade comfort food, especially during colder weather in northern Portugal or in the Serra da Estrela mountains.

Açorda (Bread and Egg Soup)

This is the traditional bread-and-egg soup often associated with the Alentejo region.

In its simplest form, açorda is made with stale bread, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, and hot broth or water, usually topped with a poached egg. More elaborate versions may include shrimp, shellfish, or bacalhau.

Like many traditional Portuguese dishes, açorda was created to avoid wasting old bread. But when prepared well, especially in Alentejo taverns, it becomes surprisingly rich and flavorful.

Alentejo cuisine, in general, is famous for turning a few simple ingredients into deeply satisfying food.

Cataplana

Cataplana is both the name of the dish and the special copper pot used to cook it. The pot resembles a large clamshell that closes tightly.

The dish comes from the Algarve region in southern Portugal and reflects strong Moorish and Mediterranean influences. Traditionally, cataplana contains seafood such as clams, shrimp, and fish, together with tomatoes, garlic, onions, white wine, and herbs. Some versions also include sausage or pork.

Because the pot traps steam inside, the seafood becomes especially tender and aromatic.

Sardinhas Assadas (Grilled Sardines)

Grilled sardines are one of the symbols of Lisbon’s June festivals and the celebrations of Santo António.

At that time of year, entire streets smell of charcoal smoke and sardines grilling outside homes and small bars. Sardines are usually served very simply — with bread, potatoes, and salad.

This dish perfectly reflects the philosophy of Portuguese cuisine: fresh ingredients matter more than complicated recipes.

The best sardines are usually found not in expensive tourist restaurants, but in small coastal towns during summer.

Arroz de Marisco (Seafood Rice)

This dish is often compared to Spanish paella, although the texture is completely different.

Portuguese arroz de marisco is much wetter — somewhere between rice and soup. It is especially popular in fishing towns along the Atlantic coast, such as Nazaré and Peniche.

The dish usually includes shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, and rice cooked in a rich seafood broth with tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro.

If paella is more dry and structured, arroz de marisco is softer, saltier, and much more ocean-like in flavor.

Cozido à Portuguesa

A very hearty traditional stew made with different kinds of meat, sausages, potatoes, cabbage, and vegetables.

Every region has its own variation. Northern versions are usually heavier and richer, while in the Azores, there is a famous version called cozido das Furnas, cooked underground using volcanic heat.

Historically, this was a large family meal slowly cooked over several hours.

Polvo à Lagareiro (Octopus with Olive Oil)

Octopus roasted with large amounts of olive oil, garlic, and potatoes.

It is especially popular in northern Portugal and coastal regions. The word “lagareiro” is connected to olive oil production, which explains why olive oil plays such an important role in the dish.

In Portugal, octopus is often prepared surprisingly tender and soft.

Francesinha

It is a very heavy and famous sandwich from Porto.

It usually contains steak, ham, and sausages covered with melted cheese and topped with a hot beer-and-tomato sauce. Francesinha is almost always served with fries.

The name means “little French girl.” The dish was supposedly inspired by French hot sandwiches, although the Portuguese version became much larger and far more intense.

Leitão da Bairrada (Roast Suckling Pig)

One of the most famous meat dishes in central Portugal, especially in the Bairrada region between Coimbra and Aveiro.

The pig is slowly roasted until the skin becomes extremely crispy while the meat inside stays tender and juicy.

Traditionally, the dish is served with orange slices and local sparkling wine from Bairrada.

Feijoada (Bean Stews)

Beans are used very heavily in Portuguese cuisine, especially in traditional rural and homemade food.

One of the best-known dishes is feijoada, a thick bean stew with meat, sausages, and sometimes vegetables. Portugal has several regional versions:

• feijoada à transmontana — a heavier northern version;

• feijoada de chocos — a version made with cuttlefish, popular closer to the coast.

Historically, beans were cheap, filling, and nutritious, which is why they still appear frequently in traditional Portuguese cooking.

Besides feijoada, beans are also used in soups, stews, arroz de feijão (rice with beans), and as a side dish for meat and fish.

These kinds of dishes are especially common in northern and central Portugal, where the cuisine tends to be more rustic and hearty than in the south.

Pastel de Bacalhau

Small fried croquettes made from salted codfish and potatoes.

They have a crispy crust on the outside and a soft, delicate filling inside. Some versions include parsley or Serra da Estrela cheese.

These croquettes are a very common snack in cafés, bars, and small family restaurants. In tourist areas of Lisbon and Porto, they can sometimes be surprisingly expensive, but in small towns and ordinary pastelarias, the prices are usually very reasonable.

They are also commonly sold in the prepared-food sections of supermarkets such as Continente, Pingo Doce, and Intermarché.

Portuguese Snacks and Desserts

Portugal is full of small fried or baked snacks that people eat with coffee, beer, or as a quick meal during the day. In many pastelarias, locals stop not only for sweets and espresso, but also for savory pastries and snacks.

Some of the most common are:

• rissóis — half-moon pastries filled with shrimp, meat, or fish;

• croquettes — meat croquettes;

• empadas — small meat pies;

• bolinhos de bacalhau or pastel de bacalhau — codfish croquettes made with salted cod and potatoes.

Portuguese desserts, or sobremesas, deserve a separate article entirely. The country is famous for its egg-based pastries and simple but surprisingly addictive sweets. The best known is, of course, Pastel de Nata — the iconic custard tart found all over Portugal. Another classic is chocolate salami, a dense no-bake dessert made with chocolate and crushed cookies, which strangely contains no actual salami at all.

There are also dozens of regional desserts and pastries connected to monasteries, villages, and family recipes — from almond cakes in the Algarve to rich convent sweets in central Portugal. I’ll write more about Portuguese desserts on a separate page because this topic alone easily deserves its own guide.

Simple delicious

And probably the most important thing about Portuguese food: it rarely tries to look “fancy.” Much of it depends not on complicated presentation, but on the quality of the fish, olive oil, bread, cheese, and the simplicity of the recipes. Very often, a tiny family restaurant by the road serves far better food than a trendy tourist place in central Lisbon or Porto.

Some of the best restaurants in Portugal are small family-run places that open only for a few evening hours and fill up quickly with locals. In many of them, it is better to make a reservation in advance or arrive before opening time and hope to get a table before the crowd appears.

One more thing that surprises many visitors: in Portugal, waiters often bring small appetizers to the table without being asked — bread, olives, cheese, pâté, or small snacks. These are not free. If you do not want them, simply ask the waiter to take them away. If you eat them, they will appear on the bill.