Food in Portugal

Food as usual plays an important role in Portuguese life, just like in many countries it is an important aspect in the cultural life of many people in the world. The Portuguese traditional dishes are often made from some simple and amazing ingredients based on the regional produce with an emphasis on fish. The Portuguese food culture is greatly influenced by the former colonies in Africa, India and the Far East has influenced Portuguese cuisine making it very different from the nearby Mediterranean countries. The ingredients included many herbs and spices such as pepper, saffron and the amazing coriander which were gradually introduced into Europe by the Portuguese.

The Portuguese Recipes

The famous Portuguese recipes are characterized by their use of a wide variety of spice and the best example is the piri which is a spicy chili pepper, Vanilla and the amazing saffron. The famous Southern Portuguese cuisine has some Arabic and Moorish influences and a mixture of an old tradition of almond and some fig sweets. The famous Portuguese breakfast consist mainly of milk, some amazing coffee, bread rolls or unique toast, butter and jam which is the main meal of the day and can at times be a leisurely affair while dinner is usually served late in the evening.

Meat

One of the most popular meats in Portugal is actually pork. The famous meat can actually be cooked in a variety of ways. The roast suckling pig is a unique specialty of the central Portugal. Another most popular pork dish is the famous carne de porco a alentajana, which actually consist of mainly pork marinated in wine and garnished with clams.

Soups

Soup is actually served at most of the meals; the seasonal vegetables, fish and meat are actually used to make a variety of soups. Famous Portuguese soups from Minho is the Caldo Verde which consists of a smashed potato base, green galican cabbage and the unique olive oil. The unique foods are what make the Portuguese country to be different from other European countries. The amazing country is actually unique when it comes to traditional food and they have maintained the food for long.