portuguese food

  Lisbon is famous for its history, unique architecture, incredible light and a rich gastronomic and wine scene.  Think about Portuguese food and chances are dishes like salted cod, grilled sardines, meats stew or pastel de nata come to mind. These are indeed some of the most iconic recipes you can taste in Lisbon, but…

  As much as we love intimate dinners and small places, where it feels like the restaurants almost exist for our own sake, sometimes we like going out in big groups too. In fact, particularly as Christmas comes around, we know that other companies are also into organizing dinners out with their employees, as a…

  We sincerely believe that Ericeira is one of the best day trips from Lisbon. You can get to this seaside town in less than one hour’s drive or even by public bus departing from Campo Grande, which is on the green line of the metro. There are plenty of options most of the day,…

  “The first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind. Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.” – Norman Borlaug, biologist and humanitarian. We are very fond of projects that combine the world of food with a strong social component. We are firm believers that…

  As the weather is clearly asking for it, lately we’ve been focusing our travel guides for foodies on beach destinations near Lisbon. We have previously taken you to the unspoiled beaches of Arrábida Natural Park and, today, we’d like to invite you to what magazine Condé Nast Traveller has highlighted as Portugal’s best secret…

  To say that the Tagus River, known in Portuguese as the Tejo, has shaped Lisbon and the local way of life is an understatement. If it wasn’t for this river, and its close proximity to the sea, Lisbon would have never probably become the prominent city that it is today. If back in the…

  When we travel, particularly at an international level, it’s important to think about our actions and how we can be more responsible travelers. Tourism naturally has an impact, both environmental and at a human level, affecting the places, the lifestyle of people, and the ecosystem. If you are planning to travel to Portugal soon…

  If you have been following our work for a little while, you’ll know that at Taste of Lisboa we love tascas. These are the Portuguese versions of taverns, simple eateries which serve typical food which tends to be quite representative of our local style of home cooking. When you go to good tasca, sometimes…

  Penha de França is a neighborhood in Lisbon with lots of personality. It is often overshadowed by Graça, the more popular parish which borders it, but we’re firm believers that it should also be on the map for those seeking to experience a side of Lisbon which mixes local characteristics with a certain international…

  Portugal has a varied and appetizing range of cured meats and smoked sausages, which we refer to in Portuguese as enchidos. In between blood sausage, chouriço and other pork based creations such as bone and cartilage sausage (butelo), we find alheira, which is arguably the one Portuguese sausage with the most troubled background. Most…

  When you think about chicken dishes from Portuguese cuisine, it’s quite likely that the first thing that comes to mind is peri-peri chicken, which we refer to in Portuguese as frango de churrasco. Juicy meat, crispy skin, smokey untones and the heat of peri-peri sauce which you can add to taste – what’s there…

  When we talk about the intrinsic connection between food, its place of origin, and the people who cook it and eat it, it’s important to acknowledge traditions and a certain dose of authenticity.    The adjective authentic refers to something that has a clearly defined origin. Even though we are fans of fusion cuisine…

  There are over seventy million Portuguese people all over the world. Considering that our country is home to just about ten million, you can imagine coming across a Portuguese citizen or person of Portuguese descent in different corners of the world is not that hard.  Central Europe is one of the regions where, historically,…

  Christmas is around the corner and while Santa may have something different in mind for everyone, we’re the kind of people who’d always hope for edible gifts! We have a feeling we’re not the only ones… Whether you’re shopping for someone special or, very rightfully so, browsing for your own delight, we’d love to…

  Portuguese are one of the main nationalities that make up the high emigration society of France. Between Portuguese born and those of Portuguese ancestry, the number of individuals who identify as Portuguese in France these days reaches almost two million people! Most Portuguese immigration to France happened back in the decades of the 60s…

  It was May of 1498 when the Portuguese first arrived in Asia. The expedition led by explorer Vasco da Gama reached India thus tightening the relationships between Europeans and Asians. Since the 15th century, cultural exchanges between both continents have been ongoing and this has been remarkable in several aspects of life, including food….

  There’s a theory that claims that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Australia back in the 16th century, even though Dutch navigators are normally associated with the “discovery” of this continent. Either way, it was three centuries later when the first Portuguese settlers started arriving in Sydney. Nowadays, there are a little…

  Portuguese Canadians make up almost 2% of Canada’s population. In a country where the notably multicultural society is made of people hailing from all corners of the world, it’s curious to notice how our small country of Portugal makes such a significant number of the total inhabitants.  Portuguese and Portuguese descent residents concentrate mostly…

  Here in Portugal, we often consume bread with our meals. Bread with butter, jam, cheese and/or ham is a very standard Portuguese breakfast. Sandwiches are our go-to snack mid morning and mid afternoon. And along with lunch or dinner, it’s customary to have a bread basket on top of the table, independently of what’s…

  An estimated quarter million Portuguese nationals are currently living in the United States of America. This may mean several things but, from our hungry perspective, this statistic makes us think that good Portuguese food in the US can’t be that hard to come by! While Portuguese and Portuguese descent folks, also known as Luso-Americans,…

There is no single word to translate petiscos. You may see them appearing in Portuguese restaurant menus as appetizers, snacks or finger foods, but petiscos are so much more than that! These small servings of Portuguese foods are perfect for sharing, when you go out with friends and crave not only for delicious dishes, but…

  The beginning of the migration of Portuguese people to the UK dates back to the 15th century, when the Jews who were being persecuted in the Portuguese territory found a safer home in Britain. Yet, if we can count up to 400,000 Portuguese people in the UK these days, it’s mainly because of the…

  At Taste of Lisboa we’re committed to bringing you the best flavors of Portugal no matter where in the world you are! Ideally, we look forward to welcoming you in Lisbon for one of our food & cultural walks. Roaming up and down the city of the seven hills, exploring small local businesses, stopping…

  Traveling broadens the mind and so does tasting foreign cuisines around the world. There’s nothing like visiting a given place and taking your time to explore the local dishes, drinks and customs to start understanding the local way of life.  But what happens when you do miss those holidays in Portugal, you’re craving for…

  Ask folks around Lisbon what they think is the most iconic dish of our city, and chances are they will say sardinhas assadas. After all, charcoal grilled sardines are the most popular summer dish, served even during St. Anthony’s famous street festival. But when you think of Portugal as a whole, both locals and…

Whoever thought that Portuguese food is nothing much besides salted codfish and custard tarts was wrong. That would be the kind of person who perhaps also thinks that Portuguese dishes ought to be pretty much like Spanish food, even though the most Portuguese food they’ve ever eaten was paella. It’s easy to oversimplify when you…

Bread is an essential ingredient in the Portuguese food tradition. As such, we couldn’t help it but develop some dishes that blend our staple bread and our much beloved salted cod, bacalhau.  There are several recipes featuring bread and cod: bacalhau à brás,  açorda de bacalhau, tiborna de bacalhau, or the lovely gratin bacalhau espiritual….

The word açorda in Portuguese may stand for slightly different dishes, but always involving old bread. While açorda alentejana refers to an aromatic stock poured over bread slices, açorda by itself stands for a savory mashed bread concoction with a porridge-like consistency. Açorda, most typical from southern Portugal, is an edible example of how the…

Just like açordas, migas are a type of savory bread recipe made to repurpose stale bread. While açordas resemble the consistency of porridge, migas are cooked until they form a sort of cake with a more binded texture. You can find dishes with the same name in a few other countries around the world. Migas…

Zero waste cooking is an emerging trend and it is becoming a priority right now. Due to a mix of increased awareness towards environmental sustainability, circular economy, food and money saving, and a sense of practicality that has been sharpened by the lockdowns happening all over the world, it feels like we’re going back to…

When it comes to sweets, several countries use old bread to make their version of French Toast (in Portugal, those are called rabanadas) or bread pudding. You may not think bread pudding is Portuguese as such, but what if we were talking about a decadent pudding moistened by the powers of Port wine? We can…

  Food is culture. It is often at the table that we find unique delicacies that feed and tell the stories and habits of a people and a country. “The destination of choice for food lovers should be Portugal.” CNN says it and we agree, taking into account the delicious food and dishes that many…

  Bacalhau. Even though this word is Portuguese for cod the truth is that, when anyone says bacalhau here in Portugal, we are referring to salted cod, which for us is the default. The Portuguese love affair with salted cod has been going strong for over 500 years. Portuguese waters are abundant in fish, yet cod isn’t…

  In the past few weeks, forced by current events, it seems like the global appreciation for canned goods is on the rise. While often perceived as cheap, quick, non-elegant options in many parts of the world, canned foods are actually a staple of Portuguese cuisine. Portugal has a long tradition of preserving fish. More…

  When the Age of Discoveries initiated about 500 years ago, the phenomena we now know as globalization started taking place. Portugal was one of the nations at the forefront of this exchange of cultures across all corners of the world. The Portuguese, who first explored the North of Africa, traveled to the Americas and,…