The Dried and Salted Cod
Being half Portuguese – my mother was Portuguese – I find I am loving this culture that serves both rice and potatoes with pretty much every meal. It’s a starch-filled culinary delight. But, with that being said, I am not a fish eater and if you’re in Portugal, it’s all about the fish. Especially, the dried and salted cod, Bacalhau, which one can find in pretty much any food shop in Porto. I’ll even go so far as to say in all of Portugal. It’s well-regarded as a local favorite and with the upcoming Christmas holiday, the shelves are bursting with dried cod. We’ve been told Bacalhau will be served at 80% of Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner tables.
Authentic Portuguese Dining
The Portuguese people eat well, and as we discover more and more authentic – and oh so yummy – restaurant choices, we definitely need those hills to combat the caloric intake. Along with generally not liking or eating fish, I am also allergic to shellfish so I tend to just stay away from all of it. But, Abi does like the occasional tasty fish meal. On one of our marathon exploratory walks in the city, we happened upon a small restaurant, Migalhas, tucked in along a small side street. It was a lovely respite and Abi was served this well-seasoned grilled sea bass.
Based on our dining experiences, Portuguese food is not what we would define as light eating. Far from it. Portions are generous, seasoning is spot on and as I said, potatoes and rice are served with pretty much every dish. Our next foray into authentic food here in Porto was at a charming little bistro, A Tasquinha.
The Dried and Salted Cod
Being half Portuguese – my mother was Portuguese – I find I am loving this culture that serves both rice and potatoes with pretty much every meal. It’s a starch-filled culinary delight. But, with that being said, I am not a fish eater and if you’re in Portugal, it’s all about the fish. Especially, the dried and salted cod, Bacalhau, which one can find in pretty much any food shop in Porto. I’ll even go so far as to say in all of Portugal. It’s well-regarded as a local favorite and with the upcoming Christmas holiday, the shelves are bursting with dried cod. We’ve been told Bacalhau will be served at 80% of Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner tables.
Authentic Portuguese Dining
The Portuguese people eat well, and as we discover more and more authentic – and oh so yummy – restaurant choices, we definitely need those hills to combat the caloric intake. Along with generally not liking or eating fish, I am also allergic to shellfish so I tend to just stay away from all of it. But, Abi does like the occasional tasty fish meal. On one of our marathon exploratory walks in the city, we happened upon a small restaurant, Migalhas, tucked in along a small side street. It was a lovely respite and Abi was served this well-seasoned grilled sea bass.
Based on our dining experiences, Portuguese food is not what we would define as light eating. Far from it. Portions are generous, seasoning is spot on and as I said, potatoes and rice are served with pretty much every dish. Our next foray into authentic food here in Porto was at a charming little bistro, A Tasquinha.
