Portuguese cuisine is rich and varied and based on two diets that are regarded as amongst the healthiest in the world: the Mediterranean and Atlantic Diets.
These two eating patterns are part of our culture and identity because we like to use the fresh and nutritious ingredients we get from fishing, farming, or raising livestock. Our menu includes traditional recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. On top of that, we are a nation with an enormous passion for food and that truly appreciates the act of sitting at the table amongst friends and family to savour a wide range of delicacies.
Eating fruit and vegetables, preferably seasonal and locally grown, is one of the main features of both diets.
In Portugal, it is customary to start lunch and dinner with a vegetable soup that, once served, is flavoured with a drizzle of olive oil. Whether in soup or in a traditional recipe, vegetables are a staple of Portuguese cuisine. This diversity of fruit and vegetables honours the principle of farm-to-table and is rooted in the agricultural landscape that makes up a significant part of the country.
Fresh food reaches cities, towns and villages through local markets and fairs. In winter, it's cabbages, sweet potatoes, cress, oranges and tangerines. In summer, it's peaches, melons, lettuce and tomatoes, amongst many others, that fill the stalls of the traditional markets with colour. These vegetables and fruit take pride of place at the table, in harmony with the four seasons.
In autumn, when the temperature begins to drop and the air is more humid, the first wild mushrooms are picked in the forest. In the cities, the warm smell of roasted chestnuts lingers in the streets. The words "warm and tasty" are heard on every corner. Street vendors invite passers-by to buy a dozen or two of chestnuts, fresh from the charcoal roasters. Dessert includes persimmons, pomegranates and seasonal apples.
In winter, comforting and warm recipes such as stews nourish the soul. And with the coolness of summer, meals become simpler and lighter. Salads are part of every table and are commonly paired with grilled fish.
Portugal is amongst the world's largest producers of olive oil. Whether fruity, bitter or spicy, olive oil is a major feature of Portuguese gastronomic culture.
We use olive oil for cooking, as a base for wonderful recipes, for seasoning salads, potatoes or cooked vegetables, or also to simply enjoy with a slice of bread.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidant substances, which reduce cholesterol and prevent some diseases. Its use is promoted by both diets.
The best fish in the world is always present
It is not by chance that the Portuguese are the biggest fish consumers per capita in the European Union. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the country's fishing culture and the fish processing industry have brought a wide variety of fish to Portuguese kitchens and tables. And internationally renowned chefs praise the unique qualities of Portuguese fish.
Although fish is a staple in both diets, the Atlantic Diet advocates eating a greater quantity of this protein.
A bakery on every corner
The Portuguese are excellent hosts. They love having friends around to eat and spending hours chatting at the table. Bread, water and wine are never missing on a Portuguese table. There is bread for all preferences and tastes and you will find that every place always has a bakery with fresh bread on offer, sometimes still steaming hot.
The Mediterranean and Atlantic eating pattern of the Portuguese, and the availability of increasingly healthier foods, is also one of the reasons why numerous craft bakeries have sprung up in the country. Here, bread is made slowly, using traditional manufacturing methods, and the cereals are preferably local and sustainably sourced.
So, in addition to traditional bread such as regueifa (traditional plaited bread), cornbread, olive oil bread from Lamego, Madeira's bolo do caco (circular flatbread) or the delicious Alentejo bread baked in a wood oven, a wide variety of healthy bread has appeared on the market that is free from artificial yeast and uses innovative ingredients such as sweet potato, rice, oats, quinoa, turmeric, beetroot, pumpkin, olive oil, olives or rosemary.
Be it traditional or creative, bread in Portugal is the main breakfast item and features heavily in snacks or as a side to any meal. When flavoured with garlic and coriander, it can be transformed into a delicious açorda, or bread stew.
Excess salt increases the risk of several diseases. This is why the Mediterranean and Atlantic Diets advocate the abundant use of aromatic herbs over salt.
In Portugal, it is very common to see aromatic herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, pennyroyal, chives and laurel, amongst others, in home gardens or in small pots placed on balconies or windowsills. The Portuguese like to add the aroma of a little parsley or basil leaves to simple recipes.
