THE ESSENCE OF PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Even with such external influences, the Portuguese remained mostly faithful to their local foodways. The essence of Portuguese cuisine lies in its simplicity and respect for hearty, rustic dishes born from land and sea: an extraordinary variety of seafood, dedication to slowly-simmered flavors, and rich, hearty stews – all unpretentious food that prioritizes quality ingredients over complexity.
When in Portugal, expect a big portion, where at the center is bread and wine followed by soup and the main course of stews, grilled meats, or seafood, served with rice and potatoes on one plate.
GRAINS IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Unlike their Mediterranean neighbors, the Portuguese consume fewer wheat-based cereals, instead favoring corn and rice. This dietary distinction is further shaped by Portugal’s strong emphasis on fish, seafood, and meat, which naturally reduces the cereal grains in daily eating. Despite this overall pattern, bread remains a critical staple—Portuguese so appreciate their bread that it accompanies every meal of the day.
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.
PRODUCE IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Portugal has a never-ending affair with potatoes, as potatoes are featured in almost every dish. It is likely to find both rice and potatoes as side dishes on the same plate. Portuguese justify it that a high-carb combination provides you with the energy to explore countries. As the old saying goes, amido não empata amido – starch does not hinder starch (source).
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.
MEATS IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Portuguese meat consumption is relatively high within the Mediterranean. When combining meat and fish consumption, Portugal ranks among the world’s top five consumers. The average Portuguese person consumes approximately 430 grams of animal protein daily, translating to an impressive 157 kilograms per person annually.
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.
The Iberian pork tenderloin is one of the most expensive and exclusive pork cuts in the world
Sausages are extremely popular. It’s rare to find a meat stew without at least one kind of smoked or cured sausage. They’re usually prepared from pork, but rarely the premium cuts, rather the offal and rarer bits. These ingredients are flavored with garlic, paprika, bay leaves, herbs, and salt to be later smoked into fragrant sausages.
Offals are pretty liked; they feature meat stews and dishes like tripas à moda, a Porto dish, in which stomach linings are cooked with white beans, sausages, and assorted meats. Rojões are small chunks of pork leg, shoulder, liver, or kidneys, marinated and then pan-fried until crispy. This dish is popular throughout Portugal and is often seasoned with garlic, paprika, and white wine.
FISH AND SEAFOOD IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Portugal is a seafaring nation with a well-developed fishing industry, and it reflects well on Portuguese tables.
The average Portuguese consumes 60 kilos of fish and seafood yearly—3.5 times more than the typical world citizen!
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.
EGGS, FATS, AND DAIRY IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Like in many Western cultures, milk and dairy are commonly used plain, fermented to yogurt, or as an ingredient in dishes: sauces, pastries, desserts, custards, and puddings use milk or cream as a primary ingredient. Portugal has rich cheese-making traditions, made from cows, goat, or sheep’s milk. Usually, these are very strongly flavored and fragrant. 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 cow’s milk cheese, cured at room temperature till it reaches a firm, flavor-packed 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 in 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.
NUTS AND DESSERTS IN PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Overall, Mediterranean countries are famous for loving and producing nuts, and though Portugal is slightly below the regional average, it still consumes around 8 kilos of nuts per person per year.
Chestnuts played an important role historically: they were used to thicken broths, garnish soup, and add 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 the streets, served in newspaper cones; there are many new recipes featuring chestnuts that revive their popularity.
Portuguese desserts are distinct by their egg-rich custard traditions.
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.
