20 tasty ways to eat your way through Portugal

By Paul Ames, for CNN
Updated 5:45 PM EST, Sun March 5, 2023
From the freshest seafood to its golden olive oil, Portuguese food may be the most underrated cuisine in Europe. Even better, the seaside nation boasts a wide range of wines to go with its dishes.
A gastronomic guide to Portugal —
From the freshest seafood to its golden olive oil, Portuguese food may be the most underrated cuisine in Europe. Even better, the seaside nation boasts a wide range of wines to go with its dishes.
CS Hotels, Golf & Resorts
For a nation that consumes the most rice in Europe, Portugual's arroz is unjustly neglected.
Going with the grain —
For a nation that consumes the most rice in Europe, Portugual's arroz is unjustly neglected.
By Grupo Lagrimas
A modern interpretation of Portuguese food by Lisbon's star chef Jose Avillez.
Lisbon's gourmet awakening —
A modern interpretation of Portuguese food by Lisbon's star chef Jose Avillez.
courtesy Paulo Barata
Avillez's Lisbon restaurant Belcanto is the first in Portugal to be awarded two Michelin stars.
Belcanto —
Avillez's Lisbon restaurant Belcanto is the first in Portugal to be awarded two Michelin stars.
courtesy Paulo Barata
Less famed than other European counterparts, Portugal produces many award-winning olive oils.
Liquid gold —
Less famed than other European counterparts, Portugal produces many award-winning olive oils.
Porto Convention & Visitors Bureau
During sardine season (May to October), whiffs of sardine-grilling can be detected at many Portuguese events. Outside the season, they're best sampled from a can.
Saintly sardines —
During sardine season (May to October), whiffs of sardine-grilling can be detected at many Portuguese events. Outside the season, they're best sampled from a can.
MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Some of the best cheeses (or queijo) in Portugal include amarelo da Beira Baixa -- a herby goat-and-sheep-milk mix that was once judged the world's greatest cheese -- and the creamy Serra da Estrela from the milk of ewes.
Say queijo —
Some of the best cheeses (or queijo) in Portugal include amarelo da Beira Baixa -- a herby goat-and-sheep-milk mix that was once judged the world's greatest cheese -- and the creamy Serra da Estrela from the milk of ewes.
By Paulo Magalhaes
The cinnamon-sprinkled custard tarts invented by monks in Lisbon's Belem district may be the country's most iconic pastries.
Pastel de nata —
The cinnamon-sprinkled custard tarts invented by monks in Lisbon's Belem district may be the country's most iconic pastries.
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Nata asides, there is more to Portuguese pastries than just custard tarts.
Nata's rivals —
Nata asides, there is more to Portuguese pastries than just custard tarts.
courtesy EHTL
Spanish superstar chef Ferran Adria once declared that Portugal's Atlantic waters have the best seafood.
Piscivore perfection —
Spanish superstar chef Ferran Adria once declared that Portugal's Atlantic waters have the best seafood.
Paul Ames/CNN
The crispy and juicy Portuguese pork sandwich (bifana) and steak sandwich (prego) are Portugal's snacks of preference.
Bifana vs. prego —
The crispy and juicy Portuguese pork sandwich (bifana) and steak sandwich (prego) are Portugal's snacks of preference.
Creative Commons/Alberto González
The sun-drenched climate gifts Portugal a cornucopia of naturally ripened, locally grown fruit that's reassuringly blemished, oddly shaped and utterly delicious.
A festival of fruit —
The sun-drenched climate gifts Portugal a cornucopia of naturally ripened, locally grown fruit that's reassuringly blemished, oddly shaped and utterly delicious.
Paul Ames/CNN
If there is one dish that unites the country, it's cozido.
The national boiled dinner —
If there is one dish that unites the country, it's cozido.
Creative Commons/David Stanley
Dried and salted cod, or bacalhau in Portuguese, is one of the nation's most popular fish dishes.
King cod —
Dried and salted cod, or bacalhau in Portuguese, is one of the nation's most popular fish dishes.
Paul Ames/CNN
Porco preto: When some of the world's juiciest pork is turned into some of the tastiest ham.
Wild pigs —
Porco preto: When some of the world's juiciest pork is turned into some of the tastiest ham.
Paul Ames/CNN
Mainland Europe's westernmost country has its share of unusual food. These are morcela doce, a sugared blood sausage.
Edible oddities —
Mainland Europe's westernmost country has its share of unusual food. These are morcela doce, a sugared blood sausage.
Paul Ames/CNN
On Sao Miguel, among the islands that make up Portugal's Azores archipelago, residents boil food slowly with the volcanic heat in underground pits.
Volcano-boiled dinner —
On Sao Miguel, among the islands that make up Portugal's Azores archipelago, residents boil food slowly with the volcanic heat in underground pits.
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
With a daily show of fresh fish, colorful fruit and grizzly selections of offal, markets have become a popular tourist attraction in Portugal.
Market magic —
With a daily show of fresh fish, colorful fruit and grizzly selections of offal, markets have become a popular tourist attraction in Portugal.
Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
A perfect leitao da Bairrada should be cooked slowly to produce tender pink flesh wrapped in a crispy skin.
Little piggies —
A perfect leitao da Bairrada should be cooked slowly to produce tender pink flesh wrapped in a crispy skin.
Creative Commons/Adriao
Just about every provincial town has a least one old-school restaurant cooking time-honored dishes unique to their region. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurante-Solar-Bragan%E7ano/128907393850460" target="_blank" target="_blank">Solar Bragancano</a> offers seasonal partridge, pheasant and boar dishes that make a trip to Braganca worthwhile.
Old-school food —
Just about every provincial town has a least one old-school restaurant cooking time-honored dishes unique to their region. The Solar Bragancano offers seasonal partridge, pheasant and boar dishes that make a trip to Braganca worthwhile.
courtesy Solar Bragancano/Antonio Desiderio
It may not sound like it, but the combination of tripes, white beans, calves' feet, pigs' ears and peppery chourico tastes divine.
Porto's tasty trinity —
It may not sound like it, but the combination of tripes, white beans, calves' feet, pigs' ears and peppery chourico tastes divine.
Creative Commons/Jessica Spengler
Portugal: Europe's best-kept foodie secret

Story highlights

Fresh, local ingredients are the hallmark of Portuguese cuisine

Cooking is rigorously regional: meaty and robust in the north, Mediterranean in the south

Portugal enjoys some of the world's juiciest pork and tastiest ham

CNN  — 

Portuguese cuisine rarely travels well. The cooking of mainland Europe’s westernmost country is deeply rooted in the freshest local ingredients.

Superlative seafood, sun-ripened fruit, lamb raised on flower-speckled meadows, free-range pigs gorging on acorns beneath oak forests. Without them, it just doesn’t taste the same.

So while diners worldwide crowd Italian trattorias, French bistros and Spanish tapas bars, Portuguese restaurants abroad generally cater to melancholy emigrants seeking in vain to matar saudades (kill their longing) for mom’s home-cooked food.

Things are changing, though. The success of Portuguese chefs like George Mendes in New York and Nuno Mendes (no relation) in London is generating a global buzz about the cooking of their homeland.

Regular visitors have long been in on the secret, but here are 20 reasons why Portugal should be on every foodie traveler’s list.

1. Piscivore perfection

In Europe, only Icelanders eat more fish than the Portuguese. Superstar chef Ferran Adria says seafood from Portugal’s Atlantic waters is the world’s best – and he’s Spanish.

Markets glimmer with a startling variety, from baby cuttlefish to U-boat-sized tuna. If your food heaven is fresh seabass expertly barbequed with a hint of lemon, garlic and olive oil, this is the place.

Best eaten by the sea in restaurants like Sao Roque in Lagos, Restinga in Alvor, Furnas in Ericeira, Azenhas do Mar or Restaurante da Adraga west of Sintra, Ribamar in Sesimbra, or Doca do Cavacas on Madeira island.

7 reasons Lisbon could be Europe’s coolest city

2. Liquid gold

The basis of Portuguese gastronomy.
The basis of Portuguese gastronomy.
By Nuno Correia

Drive the backroads of the Alentejo, Beira Interior and Tras-os-Montes regions and you’ll weave through endless olive groves. Olive oil is the basis of Portuguese cooking, whether it’s used to slow-cook salt-cod,