The shape of Portuguese cooking
Portuguese food is rooted in the Atlantic coast, family kitchens and a long maritime history. Olive oil, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, coriander and piri-piri chili are common flavors, and bread, rice, potatoes and beans fill out many meals. Portugal’s trading past also left traces such as spices and sweets. For a wider view of the peninsula, see our Iberian dishes guide.
Traditional dishes
Bacalhau
Bacalhau, salted and dried cod, is widely seen as the signature ingredient. It is soaked before cooking and prepared in a great many ways. Salt cod is also a classic meatless-day food in many Catholic countries; see our recipes for the Lenten season. Bacalhau a bras combines shredded cod with onion, fine fried potato and egg. You will also see it baked, grilled, in fritters or with chickpeas.
Fish and seafood
Grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) are a summer favorite, especially in June festivals. Other regular dishes include polvo (octopus) cooked in olive oil, clams with garlic and coriander (ameijoas a bulhao pato), seafood rice, and cataplana, a seafood stew from the Algarve named after the copper pot used to cook it.
Meat and sandwiches
- Bifana, a marinated pork sandwich
- Francesinha, a layered sandwich from Porto with meats, cheese and a hot sauce
- Cozido a portuguesa, a boiled dinner of meats and vegetables
- Arroz de pato, duck rice
- Leitao assado, roast suckling pig
- Frango piri-piri, spicy grilled chicken
Soups
Caldo verde is a soup of potato, finely sliced kale and sausage, popular at celebrations and casual meals alike.
Breakfast and cafe food
Portuguese breakfast is usually light. Common choices are coffee (a small espresso called a bica, or a milky galao), toast or bread with butter and cheese or ham, and pastries. A pastel de nata or another sweet with coffee is a familiar morning habit.
Sweets and pastries
Portugal has a rich tradition of egg yolk and sugar desserts, many linked historically to convents and monasteries. Examples include:
- Pasteis de nata, custard tarts with a flaky crust
- Queijadas de Sintra, small cheese-and-sugar pastries
- Travesseiros, puff pastry “pillows” with almond-egg filling
- Ovos moles de Aveiro, a sweet egg yolk filling often in wafer shapes
Portuguese wine
Portugal is a significant wine producer with many native grape varieties. Broadly:
- Vinho verde comes from the cool, green northwest. It is typically light, fresh and sometimes slightly sparkling, often white.
- Douro in the north produces both table wines, often red, and the grapes for port.
- Dao is known for reds that many describe as elegant, from a mountain-ringed region.
- Alentejo in the south tends to produce riper, fuller wines.
- Port is a sweet fortified wine from the Douro, made in styles such as ruby, tawny and white.
- Madeira is a fortified wine from the island of Madeira, ranging from dry to sweet.
Which wine is “most popular” depends on whether you count domestic drinking, exports or tourism, but port and vinho verde are among the best known abroad.
Other famous drinks
- Ginja or ginjinha, a sour cherry liqueur, sold in small glasses in Lisbon
- Porto tonic, white port with tonic water, served in summer
- Poncha, a Madeiran drink usually made with sugarcane spirit, honey and citrus
- Coffee, taken in many forms throughout the day
Pairing food and wine
Pairings are a matter of taste, but some classic matches are widely suggested:
- Vinho verde with seafood, grilled sardines and clams
- Douro or Alentejo reds with roasted or grilled meats
- Dao reds with stews and cheese
- Tawny port with nuts or caramel-style desserts
- Dry white wine or a light red with bacalhau, depending on the preparation
Cheese and cured meats
Portuguese cheeses include soft sheep’s milk Azeitao and Serra da Estrela. Cured sausages like chourico and alheira (a bread-based sausage from Mirandela) appear on tasting boards and in stews. A famous showpiece is chourico a bombeiro, flambeed at the table.
FAQ
What are some traditional dishes from Portugal?
Bacalhau, caldo verde, grilled sardines, cozido, bifana and arroz de pato are all traditional.
What do Portuguese eat for breakfast?
Usually coffee with bread, toast, cheese or ham, or a pastry.
What is a famous drink in Portugal?
Port wine is probably the best known, alongside vinho verde and ginjinha.
Where can I eat these dishes in the capital?
See our Lisbon food guide for what to try and how to eat around the city.