Portuguese vs Thai food & cuisine

Thai meals consist of rice with many complementary shared dishes served at once, including soups. Traditionally, a meal should have at least five elements: a dip or relish for vegetables; a clear soup, a curry or stew; a deep-fried dish; and a stir-fried dish.

Corn, introduced to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, quickly became in the central and northern coasts. Its adaptability to diverse microclimates and resilience made it a staple crop, found today in cornbread broa de milho and fried cornmeal milho frito (source).

Rice consumption in Portugal is the highest in Europe. This trend is linked to the early Moorish heritage and the ideal combination of rain, water, and sun that stimulates rice cultivation. The main varieties grown are agulha and carolino; the first is a long grain commonly used as a side dish, while the second is a short grain rice ideal for absorbing liquids in creamy and wet dishes. The Portuguese are so passionate about rice that they incorporate it into custards (queijadas de arroz), pastries (bolo de arroz), puddings (arroz doce), soups (canja de galinha com arroz), and many more.

Rice is dominant, but noodles are hugely popular! Made from the flour of rice, wheat, or mung beans. One of the oldest types of noodles in Thailand is khanom chin, fresh rice vermicelli made from fermented rice, eaten with green curry, chicken or in green papaya salad.

In many parts of  Southeast Asia, rice noodles are fermented instead of dried.  In hot, humid regions, dried noodles were harder to keep dry without mold before modern packaging. Freshly made, lightly fermented noodles could be produced daily and eaten within hours, fitting local market culture. Fermentation changes the starch structure, giving noodles a soft, springy bite and a slight tang – all valued in this cuisine.

Starting from the 1970s, wheat began gaining popularity in Thailand, driven by the emergence of instant noodles – precooked, dried noodle blocks. This rise of instant noodles marked a significant shift in Thai dietary patterns, moving away from the traditional rice and vegetable-based meals.

Though pulses appear in many traditional Portuguese stews, salads, and soups, they don’t dominate everyday meals. However, in a bar, you’ll likely be served salty lupini beans as a snack. If you order a stew in Portugal, you’ll probably find white beans, kidney beans, fava beans, or chickpeas in it.

Portugal consumes more collard greens per capita than almost any other European country.

This culinary preference towards collards traveled forth and back the Atlantic during colonization and also flourishes in Brazil. Collards are key to a popular caldo verde soup, also cozido à portuguesa (meat and vegetable stew).

The country is one of the world’s largest exporters of tomato paste despite not being a huge fresh tomato consumer. Most of its tomatoes are processed for sauces and exports. Onions and garlic form the aromatic base of almost every savory dish; carrots, various beans, turnips, and greens are important in northern cooking. Bell peppers, pumpkins, and squash round out the common vegetables.

Portugal is rich in fruits, both in consumption and production. Algarve, a southern region of Portugal, is famous for its sweet and juicy oranges, key to bolo de naranja (orange cake). Mainland cultivates apples, pears, quince, plums, cherries, grapes, and medronho (strawberry tree); the Atlantic archipelagos supplement with exotic harvests – pineapples, bananas, passion fruits, anonnas.

Port wine, born in Portugal’s UNESCO-protected Douro Valley, stands as one of the world’s great fortified wines, created by adding grape spirit during fermentation to produce a sweet, rich wine with 19-22% alcohol content. Available in ruby, tawny, white, and vintage styles, port ranges from fresh berry flavors in young ruby ports to the complex nutty, caramel notes found in aged tawnies.

Several types of mushrooms feature in Thai cuisine, such as straw mushrooms, shiitake, and white jelly fungus. Flowers are also common.

Tofu is not a staple food in Thailand the way rice is, but it became widely used after being introduced by Chinese. It can be firm, soft, or fried; is commonly added to pad thai; is sold as fried snacks by street vendors; and is used in vegan versions of traditional recipes.

Unripe and sour fruits are especially popular in Thailand compared to most other cuisines. The crisp, tart texture is valued rather than avoided. Fresh fruits are served after a meal as dessert with spicy dips made from sugar, salt, and chilies. Fruits feature salad.

In Thailand, one can find papaya, jackfruit, mango, mangosteen, langsat, longan, pomelo, pineapple, rose apples, durian, Burmese grapes, and other native fruits. Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, and strawberries, which do not traditionally grow in Thailand and in the past had to be imported, have become increasingly popular in the last few decades.

Over the last 50 years, Portugal’s economic growth has led to dietary shifts – lower consumption of plant-based foods and a heightened intake of animal and processed foods. Traditional Portuguese cuisine reflects this balance, with traditional dishes featuring pork, all kinds of sausages, and smoked cuts reinforcing meat-centricity. The majority of Portuguese meat dishes are rich in flavor, hearty, come in the form of stews and one-pot meals, and are accompanied by rich sauces.

Pork is the most popular meat, and the Iberian black pig is especially valued. This rare heritage breed is native to both Spain and Portugal. The special acorn diet and ability to roam freely (a single pig requires 2-5 acres of oak forest) create exceptional marbling, making it the most expensive pork globally. There are great cuts to consume, but the most flavorful are hams, taken from the leg and usually cured. Portuguese people pride themselves on using the entire animal and making sure nothing goes to waste.

A famous dish is khao kha moo, slow-braised pork leg stew served with rice, marinated vegetables, and a soft-boiled egg. Chinese BBQ pork (char siu) is also popular. Gai yang, grilled chicken marinated in garlic, soy sauce, coriander, and spices, is a classic and very popular throughout country.

Foremost among these is pelagic cod—bacalhau, a Portuguese national obsession. It’s somewhat ironic that a nation so rich in fresh seafood prefers it preserved and salted. Legend has it that Basque fishermen (from what is now Spain) were sailing near the coast of Norway in the late 1500s, hunting for whales, when they stumbled upon vast schools of cod. They were so far away from home, and with so many fish onboard, the only option was to filet them and cover them with salt, as they would have done with the whale meat.

The Portuguese proudly claim there are over 365 ways to prepare bacalhau—a unique dish for every day of the year. To cook salted cod, the fish must first be rehydrated by soaking in water or milk, then desalted. Once prepared, it can be transformed into a variety of delicious Portuguese dishes.

Fatty, juicy, and voluptuous – Portugal is known for its excellent fresh sardines, grilled and served with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Canned sardines are also a Portuguese delicacy, and they are not reserved to dust in pantries till there is nothing to eat. Canning started in the 19th century as a way of preserving food, and it later served as a long-lasting and nutritious food for soldiers during the two world wars. Today,  canned sardines are even served as starters on restaurants’ menus.

The Portuguese love their seafood fresh and simple, and they consume it widely: they eat more mollusks than anyone else in Europe. Portugal ranks second in the world for consuming cephalopods (like squid and octopus), just behind South Korea. Shellfish, such as clams and shrimp, are commonly steamed or cooked in garlic and cilantro sauce, while hearty stews like caldeirada (fish stew) and cataplana (seafood medley) offer a mix of fish and shellfish in rich broths. Fried fish, like sardines or whitebait, are popular snacks, and seafood rice dishes (arroz de marisco) are a comforting favorite.

Traditional Portuguese cuisine does not include cheese in many recipes; it is usually eaten on its own as an appetizer. Among the most famous Portuguese cheeses are:
– Queijo da Serra – semi-soft, rich, intense spreadable cheese from sheep milk
– Azeitao unpasteurized sheep milk cheese, is slightly lighter and milder compared to Serra
– Sao Jorge Azores cows milk cheese, cured at room temperature till it reaches firm, flavor-packed crystals consistency.

Portuguese cuisine is famously egg-centric. Eggs are frequently incorporated into dishes – poached in soups, fried on meat steak, or in Porto sandwich franchesinha, boiled and mixed with cod. Rare dessert goes without a sugar-cinnamon-egg trio.

Animal fats are used way more often than in other Mediterranean countries. In northern regions, lard and rendered pork fat enhance the flavor and texture of bifanas (pork sandwiches), sausages chouriço, farinheira, morcilla, and others. Butter is used in pastries and baked goods, though is still less prevalent than vegetable oils, especially olive oil.

Olive trees have been on the Portuguese landscape for thousands of years. Portuguese consumers approach olive oil selection with discerning standards—carefully evaluating the growing region, acidity level, color profile, and specific olive varieties used. Portuguese put it on everything from bread to salad to fish; no table is complete without olive oil and vinegar.

Eggs are often a supporting protein, kept on street stalls to bulk up the dish. In stir-fries, eggs add softness and bind ingredients; in fried dishes, they provide a coating stick. Salted duck eggs are a staple, they’re salty and oily, eaten with rice soups, rice porridges, and salads. Century eggs (kai yiew ma, from Chinese influence) bring rich, savory, sometimes sulfurous notes. Eggs are essential in Thai custards (sangkhaya) and golden egg-yolk sweets (thong yip, thong yod, foi thong).

Chestnuts played an important role historically: were used to thicken broths, garnish soup, added to bread. Up to date, even though frequently replaced with other cereals, chestnut remains a beloved ingredient.  During the fall, it is very likely to see a chestnut roaster on streets, served in newspaper cones; there are many new recipes featuring chestnuts that revive its popularity.

Portugal’s signature pastéis de nata– a crisp pastry shell filled with creamy custard – has achieved international recognition, appearing in cafés worldwide. The Portuguese sweet palette also prefers ovos moles – sweet egg yolk creams often shaped like seashells, pão de ló – airy sponge cake, and doce de gila – candied squash) distinguishing it from neighboring Mediterranean traditions through the predominance of egg yolks rather than nuts or fruits.

Thai cooking uses sugar and other sweeteners widely in savory dishes to balance salty, sour, and spicy elements, with especially notable sweetness in central Thai cuisine and many street foods. Local and Thailand-focused sources emphasize palm sugar and coconut sugar as core seasonings in curries, stir-fries, and dressings.

In the global context, Thai desserts feature tropical fruits, coconut milk and cream, palm sugar, rice flour, and glutinous rice. These ingredients create uniquely rich, creamy, and subtly sweet bases. Aromatic elements are essential, often using jasmine, pandan leaves, and other fragrant plants. Dessert textures revolve around stickiness – sticky rice, soft custards, layered jellies.

Unlike some Western desserts that may be intensely sweet, Thai desserts balance sweetness with aromatics, hints of saltiness and richness from coconut.