Planning on visiting Portugal soon? Awesome! In case you didn't know, this is one of the best countries to go if you love... Food!
Yes, Portugal has beautiful beaches and sunny weather all year long, but its gastronomy is the best. Plus, we've come up with 25 reasons why Portugal is the most underrated country in the world so that we can fully convince you to visit the country!
But let's focus on food (again): from sweet to salty, traditional to tasty... We promise it'll be difficult to choose! But we're pretty sure that Portuguese food is not part of the European foods that Americans wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole...
Below, are the typical dishes you must try next time you're in the country.
10 Pastéis De Bacalhau: A Heavenly Mix Of Mashed Potatoes And Codfish
We know it may sound strange, but you won't be able to stop once you take the first bite. These fried wonders are called "Pastéis de Bacalhau" and are a mixture of mashed potatoes, codfish, eggs, and parsley. They can look like the ones in the picture or a bit more rounded. You can either eat them singly or accompany them with delicious tomato rice.
It's one of the tastiest potato dishes from around the globe!
9 Francesinha: A Meat Sandwich Topped With Egg, Cheese, And A (Very) Secret Sauce
Francesinha's taste truly depends on the restaurant in which you eat. It would be better if you eat it while in the north of Portugal (especially in Porto), in places like Plano B or Bufete Fase.
Francesinha includes a mix of cow and pork meat in two loaves of bread. An open egg and cheese on top are the final ingredients, plus the secret sauce. It has some variations, so make sure you choose the right restaurant!
8 Cozido À Portuguesa Comes With Different Types Of Boiled Meats
Cozido à Portuguesa is one of the oldest, most traditional Portuguese dishes. It has been around for decades and is still asked nowadays.
The recipe has beef, pork, and chicken meats, which are boiled along with potatoes and vegetables—mainly white cabbage and carrot. It's a very tasty dish and, in the past, it used to be regularly eaten on Sundays, when the families gathered for lunch.
You can find Cozido à Portuguesa at any traditional Portuguese restaurant.
7 Amêijoas À Bulhão Pato: Clams, But Better
These are not your typical claims. Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is a typical Portuguese dish that reinvents the way we eat clams. It comes with a special sauce, made with olive oil, onion, white wine, lemon juice, garlic, and coriander.
Pro tip: if, by a remote chance, someone forgets to bring you (a lot of) bread, make sure you order it ASAP! Soak it in the sauce and prepare yourself to never stop anytime soon.
6 Pão De Ló De Ovar Is An Unbelievably Tasty Egg-Sweet Cake
Pão de Ló de Ovar is so soft you can eat it with a spoon. It comes in individual sizes, but also on bigger ones. This is a very moisty cake and its king ingredient is (a lot of) eggs, from which a special sauce is made.
So, if you go to Ovar (near Aveiro), make sure you eat one of these and don't miss the chance to eat Tripa de Aveiro, where you can choose the filling!
5 Caldo Verde Is A Potato Soup With Cabbage And Chorizo Slices
Don't say that you don't like soup because Caldo Verde is not your regular soup. This traditional dish is very typical in the north of Portugal and has a lot of tasty ingredients (that don't regularly come in a soup): potatoes, oil, salt, water, cabbage and... Chorizo slices. Yes, you read that right. This is the ingredient that makes this soup's taste pop out.
Caldo Verde is so creamy and delicious, you'll quickly order another bowl!
4 Sardinhas Assadas Must Be Served With Bread And Peppers
Yes, that's a sardine. But, in Portuguese, they are called "Sardinhas", which is a very typical dish served in the country, especially at popular festivities. These are normally grilled outside on a strong fire with a lot of salt, alongside green and red peppers. This delicious dish is very common all over the country and you should ask for a slice of "broa", a special type of bread that goes very well with Sardinhas Assadas.
3 Bolo Do Caco Is The Best Bread With Garlic Butter You'll Ever Eat
To taste the original Bolo do Caco, you will have to fly to Madeira, one of the groups of islands that belong to Portugal.
The truth is that it will be extremely difficult to stop eating this amazing bread, topped with garlic bread. Bolo do Caco is normally eaten as a starter and always comes to the table still warm.
Believe us: this is so good you'll want to recreate the recipe yourself!
2 Pastel De Belém: We Can't Even Describe Them, But They're So Good (And Sweet)
Pastel de Belém probably is the most popular Portuguese desert. This ancient recipe still hasn't been properly discovered since each pastry produces them differently. Pastel de Belém is a very crispy cake and its main ingredients are milk and butter.
There are a lot of variations to this small cake, but, if you want to eat the original one, you should visit Pastéis de Belém pastry, which is located in Belém (very close to Lisbon's center).
1 Bacalhau À Brás: The Story Of How You'll Start Loving Codfish
This is just another example of how well Portuguese cook codfish. Bacalhau à Brás is a mixture of shredded cod, french fries (yes), onions, scrambled eggs, olives, and parsley. It's one of the most typical Portuguese dishes, very moisty and, honestly, very easy to love right away. You can easily find Bacalhau à Brás in any traditional restaurant in the country, whether you're in the north, south, or even in one of the country's groups of islands.