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.

Posted in: Taste