Portuguese food culture

  When Anthony Bourdain traveled to Lisbon back in 2012 to shoot No Reservations, one of the restaurants he visited was Cervejaria Ramiro. This seafood restaurant, affectionately referred to by locals simply as Ramiro, was very popular with Lisbon diners until this time but, after being featured on the much liked travel and food show, its…

  Craft beer. Restaurants. Urban art. Culture and events. This is what the trendy and up-and-coming Lisbon neighborhood of Marvila is becoming known for.   Marvila is often nicknamed the Brooklyn of Lisbon, in comparison to the borough of New York City, or the London East-End of Lisbon, in reference to the gentrification that’s been…

  The word azulejo means polished stone in Arabic, referring to the origins of these now considered very Portuguese glazed ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles started being used in Portugal and Spain in the 13th century, when part of the Iberian Peninsula was still being ruled by the Moors of Northern Africa.  Lisbon is probably the…

  As the biggest street party in the city is dedicated to Santo António, one could immediately assume that St Anthony is Lisbon’s patron saint. That title has been reserved for St Vincent but St Anthony is Portugal’s most revered saint and he did happen to be born in Lisbon. So the date of his…

  Whether it’s the peak of summer and the bathing season is fully on, or it’s simply a pleasant warm day, heading to one of the beaches near Lisbon can be a beautiful way of spending some time. If you want to fully embrace the local customs when it comes to spending time at the…

  When we talk about the intrinsic connection between food, its place of origin, and the people who cook it and eat it, it’s important to acknowledge traditions and a certain dose of authenticity.    The adjective authentic refers to something that has a clearly defined origin. Even though we are fans of fusion cuisine…

  Here in Portugal, in cod we trust. Even though cod is not a fish that was ever found on the Portuguese coastline, which happens to indeed be rich in other species, no one can deny that this is one of the quintessential ingredients of Portuguese gastronomy. The history of how cod became popular in…

  The concept of craft beer took a little longer to spread around Lisbon than in some parts of the world. But once the trend caught on, what happened is akin to what happens when you start drinking… you tend to keep going. Portuguese artisanal brews started becoming common less than a decade ago. Until…

  Talking about the Portuguese way of life and daily habits is synonymous with talking about coffee. The average Portuguese adult drinks at least two espresso coffees a day, which ends up amounting to about four kilos of coffee grains per person per year. No wonder wherever you go in Portugal, whether it’s in an…

  If you have ever read about Portuguese food, you might have come across the statement that salted cod, known in Portuguese as bacalhau, is Portugal’s national dish. We could argue this, not only because we think that there are other dishes that better embody Portugal’s edible history, but also because cod is not a…