Age of Discovery, 1400s—1500s
Spice route flavours
Navigators brought back chilli, cinnamon and pepper, reshaping the national palate.
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Cuisine book · 3 cities · 6 dishes
Portugal
Salt cod, custard tarts and the flavours of a maritime empire
Portuguese food carries centuries of exploration home in its spices and salt-preservation techniques, while staying rooted in simple, seaside cooking and rustic countryside stews.
History
Where it all comes from
1500s—1600s
Salt cod trade
Bacalhau, salted and dried, became a preservation staple for long sea voyages and remains central today.
1700s
Convent sweets
Nuns in Lisbon convents developed egg-yolk-heavy pastries like pastéis de nata.
1900s
Colonial return flavours
Piri-piri chilli and African spices returned home through colonial trade routes with Angola and Mozambique.
Today
Modern Portuguese revival
Chefs are reviving regional and Atlantic-Islands recipes for a new generation of diners.
Jump to a city
City 1 of 3
Lisbon
Custard tarts and salt cod in the hilly capital.
Pastéis de nata
18th century, Belém convent
Warm custard tarts with a caramelised top, sold fresh daily since the 1830s.
Bacalhau à Brás
Traditional Lisbon recipe
Shredded salt cod scrambled with eggs, onions and thin fried potatoes.
City 2 of 3
Porto
Port wine cellars and a legendarily heavy sandwich.
Francesinha
1960s
A meat-stuffed sandwich drowned in melted cheese and a spiced beer sauce.
Tripas à moda do Porto
15th century, city's namesake dish
A tripe and bean stew that gave Porto residents the nickname 'tripeiros'.
City 3 of 3
Algarve
Grilled seafood along the southern coast.
Cataplana de marisco
Moorish-influenced cooking vessel
Mixed seafood steamed in a hinged copper pan named after the dish itself.
Grilled sardines
Coastal tradition, summer festivals
Charcoal-grilled sardines eaten with bread and boiled potatoes at street festivals.
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