Eating Out in Central Portugal

Portuguese food is prepared with simple ingredients based on regional products, meat, fish, olive oil, tomatos and spices.

Main meals usually consist of three courses starting with a hearty soup, the most popular being Caldo Verde and Legumes, followed by a main course of meat or fish (sometimes a combination of both) and rounded off with a mouth watering dessert.

In central Portugal Bacalhãu (salted cod) features on every menu and its said there are 365 different recipes.

Bacalhãu com Natas is one of the most common dishes and can be likened to Fishermans Pie.

Pork and Beef are also very popular, when ordering you should not confuse Bife with Beef.

Bife is a steak cut, but it can be a steak of Pork, Beef or even Turkey.

Bitoque (pronounced bee-tock) is a very good choice if you don't like to live dangerously when ordering from the menu. Bitoque is a steak of either Pork or Beef served with chips, rice, salad and a fried egg.

Portugal is known throughout the world for its production of Port but it also produces very nice table wines. While dining out you can expect to pay from 2 Euros for a small jug of house wine

Typical Portuguese Menu Items

Soups

Caldo Verde Soup
Green cabbage shredded in very thin strings and cooked in a light stock of potatoes and olive oil, spiced with a few slices of Portuguese pork sausage (chouriço)

Legumes Soup
Vegetable soup

Sopa de Peixe
Chunks of fish cooked in a light stock of potatoes, onion, tomato and olive oil spiced with coriander

Fish

Bacalhau com Natas
Soaked salted cod with potato and cream, can be likened to a fishermans pie

Salmão Grelhada
Grilled Salmon, served with boiled potatoes and vegetables, or rice, salad and chips

Lulas
Squid, gently fried

Polvo
Octapus, gently fried

Meat

Bitoque
Beef, pork or veal steak grilled, with a fried egg, chips, rice and salad

Lombo do Porco
Slices of pork loin roasted with pimenta doce, garlic and olive oil

Entremeada Grelhada
Grilled belly pork

Carne de Porco Alentejana
Pork and clams cooked with pimenta, garlic, white wine, onions, tomato, basil and olive oil

Grelhada Mista
Grilled mixed meats, pork steak, beef steak, belly pork, sausage, pork chops, lamb chops

Leitão
Roasted suckling pig

Espetada
BBQ meats on a skewer

Costeletas
Pork (porco) or Lamb (borrego) chops, usually served with rice, chips and salad

Bife Grelhado
Pork or beef steak, usually served with rice, chips and salad

Desserts

Arroz Doce
Cold rice pudding

Bolo de Bolacha
Cookie cake

Tarte de Maçã
Apple tarte

Tarte de Amêndoa
Almond tarte

Tarte de Côco
Coconut tarte

Pudim de ovos
Can be likened to creme caramel

Pastel de Nata
Small custard tart (nothing like the english egg custard tart)

Salada Fruta
Fruit Salad

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