Souvenirs
No vacation in Portugal is complete without many hours of shopping and shopping trips, where tourists buy a variety of gifts for themselves and all their friends. Fortunately, the range of local souvenir departments will delight any guest, regardless of their financial capabilities and requests for originality.
Port wine
It has nothing to do with the famous Soviet alcohol. Here, port wine is a branded drink, one bottle of which can cost several thousand euros. There are also inexpensive options, and you can buy them at any store selling wine.
Azulejo
Such a bizarre word is the very tile that most Portuguese houses are decorated with. Painted tiles are sold at every step, and any tourist will be able to choose the pattern they like. The only caveat is fragility, so you will only have to carry the purchase in hand luggage
Barcelos
The image of a cockerel, which, according to an ancient legend, saved an innocently convicted Spaniard from execution, is called the name consonant with Barcelona. Since then, the bird has become a symbol of innocence and honor, and very cheap black and red figurines sell like hot cakes among tourists.
Handmade soap
Despite the inscription “Hand Made” on every package, soap making is one of the largest branches of the Portuguese industry, and some brands of cosmetics are advertised by Hollywood stars. The more famous the brand, the more expensive it is, but a few pieces of fragrant soap are enough for a memorable gift.
Shoes
Can you imagine a branded pair of shoes for €30? And for Portugal, this is a regular price, and the quality of an accessory made of genuine leather will not cause any complaints. True, you will have to look for such stores outside the tourist trails, where a priori everything is very expensive, but even at the other end of the city they will help you with fitting and advice – the sellers speak excellent English
Coffee
It is not for nothing that they speak Portuguese in Brazil – the Latin American country organizes the export of coffee to its historical homeland on an industrial scale. The names “Delta”, “Camelo”, “Nikola” are known all over Europe, but in stores in Lisbon or Porto, a package of an invigorating drink is several times cheaper than anywhere else.
Cuisine and restaurants
Gastronomic holidays in Portugal are a separate area of tours that are seriously redeemed by gourmets from all over the world. Local culinary traditions are so unique that you will not see two similar dishes on the menu, and no less original products can be hidden under fancy names.
- Tripash – a funny word means beef offal, which forms the basis of either a lean soup or a modest stew. It was invented by the Portuguese poor, who, apart from offal, could not afford any other meat. In fact, this is a delicious dietary stew that will appeal to any tourist.
- Feijoada is an analogue of the Hungarian stew made from fatty pieces of beef, beans or beans, as well as a whole bunch of spices that have their own composition in different places. The dish is not for weak stomachs, because it has a high calorie content, therefore feijoada is served either for lunch or for a hearty dinner for several people
- Bacalhau – like herring in Holland, cod in Portugal is considered the national fish species, caught in huge quantities, and with several hundred recipes. When ordering a bacalau, you definitely won’t go wrong, just don’t forget one nuance – they cook raw cod only in the cheapest establishments, reputable cuisines prefer pre-salted fish
- Kaldu Verde – if in Russia the first course should traditionally be followed by the second, then the western neighbors of the Spaniards prefer soups with a glass of red wine, at least this one for sure. It can be compared with our cabbage soup, the cabbage composition is so close, but instead of meat there are thinly sliced smoked sausages
- Sardinia assada – as the name implies, these are sardines, but unlike other types of fish, the Portuguese prefer to cook it on an open fire, on a grill grate. You can eat just like that, with a side dish in the form of potatoes or with other vegetables, at the request of the cook and the visitor of the restaurant
- Cozidu das furnas is perhaps the most original dish that you can meet during your trip, and it is cooked only in the Azores. The main secret of baked meat with vegetables is that the craters of numerous island volcanoes play the role of an oven. The process itself has long been turned into a spectacle, for the sake of which entire excursion groups gather
- Pastel de nata is the main dessert of any Portuguese, which will definitely be offered to a foreigner. Despite the similarity of words, there is no pate or nuts in it, but there is custard, puff pastry and a taste reminiscent of the most delicate muffins. They say that the delicacy was invented by Lisbon monks, and only in the 19th century they learned about it throughout the country.
