Salsa Jeans - the Portuguese jeans just for you

Salsa Jeans is a Portuguese clothing and fashion brand created in 1994. Since then, the company is growing in a stable and sustained way and follows an ambitious internationalization strategy. Salsa has already more than one hundred shops in many countries of Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, such as, Spain, France, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, The Philippines, Canada, and a lot more.

Salsa Jeans offers a wide range of classic, modern and innovative jeans, tops and accessories to all contemporary, independent and dynamic men and women. Salsa produces high quality and innovative products representative of the Portuguese textile industry standards.

www.salsajeans.com

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The 7 Wonders of Portugal Cuisine are... (part 2)

Seafood

Arroz de Marisco (Seafood Rice) – from Estremadura and Ribatejo

The “Arroz de Marisco” is a traditional plate from the Praia de Vieira de Leiria, but it also cooked in many places along the Portuguese coast. This recipe includes rice, tomato paste, chilli and a wonderful selection of seafood such as shrimp, clams, lobster and crab, as main ingredients.

To appreciate and feel the real taste of this refined dish, always try to enjoy the “Arroz de Marisco” in a place where is traditionally made and served on a clay pot. The food is still bubbling, whetting anyone’s appetite.

Fish

Sardinha Assada (Grilled Sardines) – from Lisbon and Setúbal

The “Sardinha Assada” is a traditional dish served mainly during the holiday season of the “Santos Populares” in June and July. Grilled and seasoned with salt, the Sardine is normally served with grilled peppers and potatoes. Any terraces at this time of the year have grilled sardines on its menu as a “main dish”.

If you are planning to visit Lisbon during that season, take time to celebrate the “Santo António” (13^th of June – Lisbon holiday), and taste a sardine. Just let yourself be guided by its aroma spread through all Lisbon streets, and experienced the real taste of the grilled sardine placed on a thick slice of bread.

Meat

Leitão da Bairrada (Bairrada Piglet) – from Beira Litoral

The piglet, with approximately 6 to 8 kg, is seasoned with a salt and pepper pasta placed inside of it. The pig is threaded on a skewer to be roasted on a grill for nearly two hours, to guarantee the typical gold and exquisite appearance of a royal delicacy, like the “Leitão da Bairrada”.

Crispy and crunchy on the outside, tasty and juicy inside, this gastronomy dish should be part of your taste experiences. In the Estrada Nacional 1 (National Highway 1) between Coimbra and Anadia, and mostly in the Mealhada area, you can find the best restaurants and experiment this traditional plate.

Sweets

Pastel de Belém – from Lisbon

The “Pastel de Belém” is already considered a renowned sweet often used as a Portugal trademark in several touristic campaigns. This pastry dates back to the nineteenth century, following the ancient “secret recipe” made nearby the “Mosteiro dos Jerónimos” (the Heironymite Monastery). There are few renowned pastry masters who know the recipe that remained unchanged to the present day in the “secrets room”.

The “Pastéis de Belém”, as known today, can only be tasted in the only true factory in Lisbon near the “Mosteiro dos Jerónimos”. This is a delicacy to make mouth water sprinkled with icing sugar and some cinnamon. And if the “Pasteis de Belém” are still warm, they’re a weakness for anyone.

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The 7 Wonders of Portugal Cuisine are... (part 1)

Following the 7 Wonders of Portugal and the 7 Wonders with Portuguese origin in the world has been announced; we can now reveal which typical Portuguese dishes were recently considered as the 7 Wonders of the Portuguese cuisine.

10 years after its declaration as intangible heritage of Portugal, the Portuguese Cuisine receives a new tribute selecting the main traditional plates made and refined over several generations. These are recipes that reflect genuine and traditional Portuguese values and define our culture and identity as nation.

From a list of 21 traditional dishes chosen by a respected panel of experts, included on 6 different categories – starters, soups, seafood, fish, meat and sweets – and voted by the Portuguese people, the winners were:

Starters

Alheira de Mirandela (Mirandela Sausage) - from Trás os Montes e Alto Douro

The Alheira de Mirandela is a traditional Portuguese cuisine sausage mainly produced in the northern regions of the country, but the sausage of Mirandela is the known and appreciated by the majority of the Portuguese.

It is a traditional smoked sausage made with bread, several kinds of meat (pork, poultry), olive oil, lard, garlic and sweet and/or spicy paprika. It is usually fried in olive oil and served with cooked vegetables as the main course. It can also be stewed after wrapped in cabbage to provide a more refined taste.

The Alheira de Mirandela is now increasingly used as an ingredient in all kind of plates cooked by the most respectful chefs, and can even be enjoyed in a variety of gourmet dishes.

Queijo Serra da Estrela DOP (Serra da Estrela Cheese PDO) – from Beira Interior/Beira Litoral

As a product with Protected Designation of Origin (POD), mostly known as “Queijo da Serra” (Mountain Cheese), the  “Queijo Serra da Estrela” is a ripened cheese with semi-soft, creamy white or yellow moisture. It is produced mostly from November to March with sheep’s milk, curdled by the flower of the thistle, a plant from the region.

With a distinctive aroma and taste, smooth and refined, the “Queijo Serra da Estrela” delights all cheese lovers.

Soups

Caldo Verde Soup – between Douro and Minho

The Caldo Verde Soup is undoubtedly the most renown and appreciated soup in Portugal. Originally from Minho, you can taste it anywhere in the country. Made with kale cut into thin strips, potatoes and a slice of sausage, this soup has a simple recipe and can be cooked by anyone.

For a typical savouring, the Caldo Verde Soup must be served in clay bowls with a slice of corn bread, or, mostly in Lisbon, with hot sausage bread. It is particularly popular in winter because it is hot to warm the souls who taste it.

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