19 Interesting Facts About Portugal Food
In Portugal, food has a very important place even if the Portuguese gastronomy isn’t well known abroad. Portuguese cuisine is a no-frills, family-style cuisine that is tasty and generous, VERY generous.
But, did you know that the famous bacalhau doesn’t originally come from Portugal? Or that afternoon tea is a tradition in Portugal?
Learn more through these 19 interesting facts about Portugal food! 🥧
The Best Portugal Food Facts
Portuguese cuisine is not one of the most famous ones on the planet… which is sad, considering how good it is.
Don’t worry though, if you want to learn more about it, I have compiled 19 interesting Portugal food facts, starting now!
1. There is no cream in “pastéis de nata”
“Pastéis de nata” is arguably the most famous Portuguese dessert. The bite-sized custard tarts are very tasty despite their simplicity, and they remain crispy on the outside and creamy on the outside.
Creamy, you say? Well, believe it or not, there is no cream in it! The only ingredients are milk, sugar, eggs and spices. The secret is to bake them at very high temperatures for a short period: this way, the inside of the tart does not have time to burn, but the outside is perfectly crispy.
2. Portuguese pork sausages… have no pork in it
You might be confused by what you just read about “pastéis de nata”, but you are about to have even more questions right now: “alheira”, the Portuguese pork sausage… has no pork in it.
It is not a vegetarian dish however, as it is made of chicken and bread. This was made by Portuguese Jewish communities during the 16th century in order to hide their beliefs in plain sight. A very ingenious trick that would later become a staple of Portuguese cuisine.
3. There is no Portuguese food
“Is this all a lie? Is this list even real?” will you ask me. Believe me, I am really sorry, but here is another very surprising fact: there is no such thing as Portuguese food.
For most of the dishes, the cuisine is Mediterranean, even though it is a bit different from that of Italy or Greece. The spices are largely Indian, and the chili and peppers are South American. Other famous dishes like the “bacalhau” (that comes from Norway or Iceland) or the “cataplana” (which is Moorish) are not originally from Portugal either. It is still really good though!
4. It is very common to eat starters at Portuguese restaurants
Even though it is not free, starters are a very common habit in Portugal. Without your permission, waiters will often serve you a basket of bread, olives and cheese. If you want to avoid bad surprises when it is time to pay the bill, make sure you remember that this is not free!
That said, it is not very expensive, only a few euros, but if you are not used to it, you might be confused. If I may add, these are also very tasty, and ideal to wait for your meal!
5. Portugal has very good wines
Maybe you are not aware of this, but France and Spain are not the only great wine producers. Portugal is also one of them, and this dates back to the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks and most importantly Romans times. The country started to export wines to Rome during the Roman Empire, and modern exports with England started in 1703.
Now, there is a wide variety of wines in Portugal, and 2 wine-producing regions are UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Douro Valley close to Porto, and Pico Island.
6. You can find quality wine bottles at Portuguese supermarkets
Talking about wine, unlike in many countries, you can find decent wine in Portuguese supermarkets. They will also be quite cheap, under 3€ sometimes. Obviously, these won’t be the finest wines the country has to offer, but it can be a good option.
As long as you respect the following rules, nothing can go wrong: pick a wine in a bottle, with a cork, and check if there is a DOC label. If there is one, it means the wine comes from one of the oldest wine producing regions of the country, and you’re good to go!
7. The most famous Portuguese dish is not Portuguese
I already told you a bit about “bacalhau” earlier. It is a dish made of salted codfish, and it is in fact the most famous ingredient in Portuguese cuisine. Despite this, it does not come from Portugal!
Instead, “bacalhau” was created in Iceland or Norway before being imported. Despite the shipping costs, it remained affordable. It was during the 14th century that the fish joined the list of Portuguese dishes, and it has not left it since then. Head to Lisbon if you want to taste Portugal’s most iconic dish!
8. Afternoon tea is actually a Portuguese tradition
The United Kingdom is reputed for tea time. Since ancient times, everyone takes a break in the afternoon and enjoys a cup of tea… but this actually comes from Portugal! Looks like the tables have turned.
Only one Portuguese royal became Queen of England, Catarina de Bragança. She brought tea leaves when she arrived on the island… and radically changed British culture for the centuries to come. Now, the Brits have to thank the Portuguese for drinking tea and eating cakes in the middle of the afternoon.
9. Portugal is home to the biggest tea plantation in Europe
Europe is not very famous for its tea overall. Despite this, there are quite a few tea plantations in the continent, and Portugal has the biggest of them all.
It is located on S. Miguel Island, in the Azores, a Portuguese territory. This island is far off the coast, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and it is a wondrous jungle. “Fábrica de Chá Gorreana” has been running for five generations, since 1883, and it produces more than 40 tons of tea every year! This tea is reputed to be exquisite, and is one of the ingredients of Lisbon Breakfast, a custom-made blend and a local souvenir.
Tea fields in the Azores
10. Portuguese “green” wine is not actually green
“Vinho verde”, or green wine, is a Portuguese wine. While that sounds great, it is not actually green, of course. I would rather warn you, just in case.
Instead, it is called green because it is a young wine. Green wine undergoes a very short fermentation time, giving it its slight sparkles. Portuguese people love it during the summer season, alongside some fish, as this wine is served chilled, and is light and fruity. It is also very often paired with “petiscos”, or Portuguese tapas.
11. The craft beer scene recently started to grow in Portugal
Before 2014, if you were to go to any Portuguese bar, you had no choice but to drink a local beer, either “Sagres” or “Super Bock” most of the time. If you were lucky, you could find an Irish pub or something like that, and try something new.
Now though, craft beers have arrived in the country, mostly in Lisbon. The first craft beer bar in the city was “Cerveteca”, and more and more are opening now. You can also buy some of their beers in shops around the country.
12. Portuguese food is simple but delicious
Overall, the summary of Portuguese cuisine would be that it is very simple, but in a good way. It is simply delicious, and most of the dishes are simply grilled or quickly prepared. There are no overly sophisticated dishes or fancy sauces, and that is exactly what makes Portugal so charming.
Also, you will overall find a lot of olive oil, and potatoes cooked in various ways. Portuguese people also use seasonal food, and nothing else. Food in Portugal is always fresh, simple and tasty.
13. Portuguese desserts feel like eggs
Not only “pastéis de nata”, but also most Portuguese desserts, taste like an egg. You will often feel like slurping into an egg when trying a national sweet, and most desserts look yellow.
The reason for so many eggs to be used in Portuguese desserts is religion. Egg whites were used in convents to whiten priests’ and nuns’ clothing. With all of these egg yolks, nuns had to be creative and create what would later become the national desserts. This is also why many Portuguese desserts are called “conventual” desserts.
14. You can pay with a customer card at cafés and pastry shops in Portugal
“Pastelerias” and cafés are very special in Portugal. Not only can you taste delicious food, but you can also pay with a customer card. This is a card that the waiter will give you when you sit down at your table, and you will have to use it to pay the bill at the end. Instead of having a regular bill, everything you order will be uploaded onto the card.
As a matter of fact, Portuguese culture is built around coffee breaks and pastries, which is why there are so many pastry shops spread throughout the country.
15. Portuguese meats is overshadowed by Spain
The Iberian Peninsula, made of Spain and Portugal, is very famous for its ham and “chorizo”, but Spain has always had an edge over its neighbor. This is also the case for olive oil, unfortunately.
Even though “jamón ibérico” is famous in the whole world, Portuguese ham has nothing to be ashamed of, as it is just as good. For some reason, it is only Spain that bathes in all the glory. For olive oil, it is exactly the same, as the Portuguese one is one of the best oils in the world.
16. Food in Portugal is very copious
One of the things that will shock you most if you eat in Portugal is the size of the portions: they are huge!
Because of this, there are often ½ or ¼ options that you can choose from in most restaurants. If you are alone, you should choose a ½ portion at best. You should avoid a full portion if you don’t know what it looks like, because you will quickly be surprised! Most of the time, Portuguese people share a lot of dishes though, so you might want to do the same.
17. The Portuguese are crazy about tomato
On top of potatoes and most importantly fish, that you will find in any possible variant, the ingredient that is everywhere in Portugal is tomato. With such warm and sunny weather, no wonder tomatoes are that good and so used!
Tomatoes are one of the major Mediterranean ingredients, and several Portuguese recipes like tomato rice, gazpacho, codfish with tomato sauce, tomato soup and chicken in tomato sauce all use it. You can also expect to eat tasty fruits.
18. Portugal is obsessed with codfish
Aren’t you already convinced that the Portuguese are crazy about fish? Let me tell you more.
The most famous fish, “bacalhau”, which is codfish, is a national obsession. There is even a saying that Portuguese people have more than 365 different ways to prepare it. Yes, one for each day of the year! One of the most popular recipes is “bacalhau à brás”. Strips of codfish are mixed with onions, and thin strips of potatoes bound by eggs. Olives and parsley often top it all for a simple and tasty dish!
19. Canned fish is better than you would think in Portugal
In most countries, you would probably eat canned fish if there were nothing else to eat. In Portugal, this is definitely not the case, as the best fresh fish is usually canned instead! This is to make sure that nothing goes to waste.
Whichever fish you prefer, you will find it in Portugal: sardines, tuna, mackerel and most notoriously codfish! They will often be bathing in olive oil, but other preparations like curry and chili also exist. So yes, I guess we can safely say that the Portuguese could not live without fish.
So there you have them, these were all my 19 interesting Portugal facts about food. I hope you enjoyed them and that you learned something new today.
In case you want to learn more about the rest of the country, feel free to keep reading, as I still have lots of things to tell you about.
More Facts!
Do you want even more facts about Portugal?
Here is the main guide of the best Portugal facts 👉 60 Best Facts about Portugal
And here are city-based posts that might interest you:
Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.
The Full List of 19 Portugal Food Facts
- There is no cream in “pastéis de nata”
- Portuguese pork sausages… have no pork in it
- There is no Portuguese food
- It is very common to eat starters at Portuguese restaurants
- Portugal has very good wines
- You can find quality wine bottles at Portuguese supermarkets
- The most famous Portuguese dish is not Portuguese
- Afternoon tea is actually a Portuguese tradition
- Portugal is home to the biggest tea plantation in Europe
- Portuguese “green” wine is not actually green
- The craft beer scene recently started to grow in Portugal
- Portuguese food is simple but delicious
- Portuguese desserts feel like eggs
- You can pay with a customer card at cafés and pastry shops in Portugal
- Portuguese meats is overshadowed by Spain
- Food in Portugal is very copious
- The Portuguese are crazy about tomato
- Portugal is obsessed with codfish
- Canned fish is better than you would think in Portugal
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