Traditional Portuguese food is one of my favourite! Some travelers might think it’s similar to Spanish suisine but each have their own different culture. They both share a heavy focus on seafood, Portuguese is mostly based on fish but there’s plenty of vegan options to find there.
Portuguese traditional cuisine has rich history, Portugal has been obsessed with cod since 16th century. The name Terra do Bacalhau – ‘Land of cod fish’ started appearing even on different geographical maps.
Best traditional Portuguese food!
Bacalhau à Brás – bacalhau (salted cod) is a staple ingredient in Portuguese cuisine. Bacalhau à Brás is one of the most popular dishes, consisting of shredded salted cod sautéed with finely chopped onions and straw fries, all bound together with scrambled eggs. Topped with black olives and fresh parsley, this dish is a perfect representation of Portuguese comfort food.
Bacalhau – dried and salted cod.
Bacalhau is considered Portugal’s national dish. This type of fish is extremely popular in the Iberian Peninsula and bacalhau has a long history starting in the 16th century when dried and salted cod could be kept in the ships literarly for years.
It is one of the major ingrediens in Portuguese cuisine and an alternative for fresh fish, especially at times when fishermen couldn’t go fishing in the open due to bad weather, for instance. Apart from this fact, this is also a very tasty and healthy ingredient in traditional Portuguese cuisine.
Grilled sardines – traditional Portuguese dish!
Grilled sardines are one of the most quintessential Portuguese dishes that you can try locally – served along with bones and heads intact. This type of sardine is a very popular dish in most Portuguese festivals. Not everyone is a fan of grilled sardines, but these can also be eaten pickled or smoked when fresh.
The other option is to try sardines in cans. You can eat them right out of the can and choose different flavours. There are a number of shops in Lisbon where you can buy really good quality canned sardines.
Pastel de nata – traditional Portuguese food.
Although this pastries is well know all-over the world, you need to find its real taste in Portugal! The pastry is filled with a custard made of cream, egg yolks, sugar, flour, and lemon zest and melts in your mouth! The cream custard tarts are one of the most popular specialities of Portuguese pastry!
These iconic pastries are a great example of traditional Portuguese food. This crispy pastry shell, often dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, is best enjoyed warm from the oven.
You’ll find them in bakeries and cafes throughout the country. Lisbon’s famous Pastéis de Belém is a must-visit for the authentic experience, but you can find delicious versions in nearly every corner of Portugal.
Pimientos de Padron!
OMG, that is my favourite dish in Portugal, I’ll never be fed up with this. Pimientos de Padrón – olive oil-fried green baby peppers, served with salt. Also popular across Spain. These small green peppers are delicious, you can treat it as a starter or eat along with your dish.
Shrimps variations.
Seafood is extremely popular in Portugal’s cuisine. The first would be Portuguese Spicy Garlic Prawns, served with fresh parsley, bread, and a glass of wine. Fried garlic shrimps is one of the classic traditional Portuguese dishes. Slightly more sophisticated but highly recommended – fried shrimps wrapped in potato stripes – a very visually attractive, highly tasty, and crispy dish.
Peixe Grelhado – grilled fish.
I definitely prefer grilled cod with garlic and baked potatoes. This is generally one of my favourite traditional Portuguese foods of all. The dish below is from one of the best seaside restaurants in Ericeira. Along with some delicious tapas (starters) the whole course is just 20 Euro.
Typical tapas would be olives – a very different taste from what you know from the olive jar. Freshly baked bread with garlic butter, Vinho Verde – young light green wine, which is produced mainly in northern Portugal.
Lagostas and lobsters.
Lagostas is also a typical Portuguese food and this is a country where you should taste it. Especially in the northern parts, whole different type of luxury sea food is very affordable. For this plate you’ll pay around 20 Euro, depending weight – lobster would be around 25-30 euro per dish. This is still not much and for most of the coastal restaurants the sea food is highly fresh.
Check the most adventurous places in Portugal!
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