October 29, 2018
Thinking about your next trip? A trip to Alentejo would be a great choice for all yummy reasons. The delicious food and the tasty wine will take you to places you can’t imagine. Fly with us throughout this appetizing article and learn more about it.
Every region in Portugal has great dishes we should always try, but when tourists visit Alentejo there is something they will never forget – the food. Its cuisine is simple but extremely savoury. From the North to the South of this region, its gastronomy has nothing else to prove. It’s made in heaven.
The most popular dish of Alentejo is a very simple recipe that can be easily adapted to everyone’s tastes. Basically, this soup requires bread, cilantro leaves, garlic, olive oil and poached eggs.
A fest in a big bowl is also called cozido. This Portuguese stew is made with chickpeas, stuffed sausages, different types of vegetables and meat. This fabulous dish is ideal for those cold days.
This warm dish made of pork with clams and fried potatoes is very present in almost all Portuguese restaurants. Some argue that the origin of this dish comes from Algarve, but actually is in Alentejo where the pork meat is produced.
Translated as cod with maize bread is another titbit you won’t resist. As you may know, the Portuguese can cook codfish in 1001 different ways and this recipe is probably the most popular due to its rich flavours.
You can also translate it as Hunter’s Rabbit and it’s a super delicious recipe for perfect Sundays. For this dish you need to add extra herbs but in Alentejo the cilantro is king.
Another corpulent stew that looks like a soup. For this recipe to be perfect you need to add lamb, garlic, herbs, onions, parsley and white vinegar. As you can see, the “Alentejanos” really love dense meals and they make good use of spices and herbs.
A stew for the brave ones. This chicken stew is cooked with blood from the chicken. But don’t frown upon this. We promise you the flavours are to cry for more.
The last recipe is found everywhere in Alentejo. This black pork comes from a grey pig that grows up freely in farms and whose diet is based on acorns.
The tomato soup of Alentejo is similar to the Spanish gazpacho but this is a warm soup made with various tomatoes and cilantro. Any Portuguese knows how to make this soup and during winter is our predilection.
A great wine of Alentejo should always accompany each of the dishes described above. A complex flavour is its hallmark but take the chance to taste the old red wines. Some examples of wines are: Papa Figos, Vale da Mata, Olho do Mocho, Herdade das Servas, Monsaraz, and Reguengos.
This is THE dessert. As far as we know, nuns developed this dessert and for this delicious cake they basically used cinnamon and eggs, which is what makes it very creamy.
It’s a kind of pudding that is once again made with eggs and sugar, but you should also add some almonds as they do in the North of Alentejo.
This big cake is on the table of each Portuguese family on Christmas. This spongy cake is great to eat with Port Wine, tea, or coffee.
Our Alentejo Private Tour will take you to a wonderful journey where you will be able to enjoy the breath-taking landscapes and taste some of the most important wines at the most famous winery. During lunchtime take the chance to enjoy some of the specialties described above.
The Alentejo experience should embrace a visit to the most famous monuments and to the green and blossoming landscapes and also a trip to a few restaurants to taste these gastronomic wonders.
Joana is Portuguese and she loves to share her passion about travelling.
@Joana Cabo Read more posts written by Joana Cabo
