Portugal - Part I: Our First Night

overlooking the city of Porto and the Douro River - Portugal.

 I’m back safe and sound.  I’ve been home about a week and a half now and I’ve been dragging my feet on posting.  Not because I don’t want to share all the glorious food details with you, but because I have so much to share that I just don’t know where to begin.  I took 215 photographs and ate everything from gooseneck barnacles and suckling pig to gorgeous little pastries called pasteis de nata.  I’ve decided to break it down into parts. 

I did a ton of research before leaving.  I searched chowhound and made several posts asking for must try restaurants and dishes in Portugal.  I got very little feedback.  I don’t think it’s a hot travel destination for Americans.  While there for a week, I met 3 couples and we literally found one another by overhearing each other chatting.  It was a bit isolating for me, I have to say.  Keep in mind, this was my first trip to Europe.  Back to the research.  I put together a list of dishes I wanted to try, like leitao assado (roast suckling pig), bacalhau (salt cod stew), serra cheese (soft sheep’s milk cheese) and pasteis de nata (custard pastries).  I also included in my list historical sites I wanted to visit, including The Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery and Castelo Sao Jorge.  I think I conquered 95% of my list.  It was quite a feat, I tell you, and there were many low blood sugars along the way.  It was difficult (but not impossible) to manage my Type 1 diabetes.  While I considered the time difference, I didn’t think about the affects of adrenalin, exercise and stress.  But we persevered and fell into a good groove after a couple of days. 

I hit the ground running.  No sooner did that plane land that I was on a food mission from…. me.  We set out to explore the streets of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.  I’m not going to bore you with historical facts but I was in a perpetual state of awe by the architecture, cobbled streets and streetcars.  Kevin had to re-attach my jaw on several occasions as it had become disjointed and was hanging on my chest!  Our first meal was a quick bite to eat at a cafe off of one of the center city squares(pracas).  They have these little cafes everywhere!  When I say everywhere I mean that they have one after another, after another, after another.  The Portuguese will stop in quickly for a drink and a bite to eat often just standing at the glass counter.  They generally serve beer, wine, coffee, pastries and small bites to eat like presunto (cured ham similiar to prosciutto), breads and sandwiches.  Most of them have the futebol game on the television (main rivalry is Benfica vs. Porto).  I had a half bottle of vinho verde (a light, effervescent white wine that’s lower in alcohol) and the guys had a Sagres beer (local brew).  We ordered a plate of presunto, a roasted pork sandwich on crusty bread and they always bring you a basket of crusty bread with a plate of pre-packaged spreads (sardine pate, butter, etc).  Check it out:

    

A plate of presunto

a basket of bread & an assortment of spreads served in most cafes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portuguese men grabbing a quick bite and watching a little futebol

 

 

That night we had dinner with several of Kevin’s colleagues.  We found another outdoor cafe and were treated to lots of white wine and what seemed like a neverending stream of seafood; claims, mussels, oysters, prawns.  All of it was delicious!  Portugal is about the size of Indiana but it’s western and southern coasts are bordered by the Atlantic ocean so seafood is plentiful.

 

 

Clams with white wine & garlic

 

The Portuguese version of mussels marinara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prawn and oysters on the half shell

 

As we walked off our dinner and headed back to the hotel, we noticed a little bar.  Everyone thought it was a port bar and we decided it was essential to end the night with a taste of port.  I later learned (from a friend on Chowhound) that this was a place called a Ginjinha bar.  We did not drink port, but rather ginjinha which is a licquer made from cherry-like berries called ginjas that are fermented in brandy or schnapps with sugar.  This place was no bigger than my walk-in closet and I went in with Stefan to, of course, take some photographs and have the experience.  A man stood behind a small wooden counter.  The walls were shelved and held bottles of liquors and port of various vintages (we saw a bottle of 1900 port for 1600€.  On the counter was a glass bottle packed full of cherries and brandy.  Stefan ordered four cups and the gentleman poured them into little plastic cups.  I refrained - too sweet for me, but I did steal a small sip from Kevin and it was good. 

My friend, serving up small one ounce cups of ginjinha!

 

What a full day for our first in Portugal.  At that pace, you can imagine the extent of the gluttony I indulged in the remaining days of our trip.  I am excited to tell you about the highlight of the entire trip – My date with THE PIG!  Baby pig, that is.  I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen at Pedro dos Leitoes in Mealhada and took lots of graphic photographs of the process from slaughter to oven.  That’ll be my next post, and it’ll include details from another food oddity: percebes (Gooseneck barnacles).  Stay tuned, friends!  Adoro Portugues esta comida!  (I love Portuguese food). 

 

 

About these ads