A trip to Portugal is as much a culinary experience as a cultural adventure. Often infused with garlic, wine and chilli sauce, Portuguese recipes are delicious, with each region and city boasting its own particular delicacies. Discover four recipes from Porto to try during your stay.
Caldo verde, kale soup, is a simple but delicious recipe, usually accompanied by Portuguese chouriço (chorizo), thickened with mashed potatoes and infused with garlic (like most other Portuguese recipes).
Porto-style tripe is one of the most typical dishes of Porto. However, this particular recipe is not suitable for all stomachs... especially those of vegetarians! In fact, it is said that on one of his expeditions, Henry the Navigator asked the people of Porto for help in obtaining supplies... who generously offered him animal entrails and organs. Thus were born the tripas à moda do Porto. This dish (now complete with beans, sausages, vegetables and herbs) became so popular that it gave rise to the term tripeiros, a nickname for the people of Porto.
In Porto, it's hard to beat the francesinha! Introduced in the 1960s, it resembles the French croque-monsieur. It's certainly not a recipe for vegetarians either, as the francesinha consists of four or five different meats, topped with cheese and drowned in a sauce whose recipe is kept jealously guarded by each chef (probably beer-based). Many restaurants in Porto claim to serve the best francesinha in the city... You be the judge!
Bacalhau (cod) is the most popular fish in Portuguese cuisine, and can be prepared in a thousand and one ways: grilled, boiled or even baked. The bacalhau com natas (cod with cream sauce), in particular, is a masterpiece of flavour.
