There’s a farmer’s market in São Pedro de Sintra since the 12th century. Nowadays it runs every second and fourth Sundays of each month. It is a great place to buy local fruits and vegetables, artisanal sausages, olives and cheese. Wood-fired ovens bake chouriço bread, filing the air with appetizing aromas.
We saw a farmer selling a small capsicum frutescens tree loaded with little red peppers. Five centuries ago, Portuguese navigators brought this plant from South America to Africa, where the Bantu people called its fiery pepper “piri piri.” From Africa, the Portuguese took the plant to India where it changed the course of Indian cuisine.
How could we resist bringing home this symbol of the first age of globalization? “Trim the tree in March and you’ll have piri piri peppers between August to January,” advised the genial farmer. We got into the car feeling ecstatic at this unexpected find. Who knew that happiness is a piri piri tree?
The São Pedro market is located on Largo D. Fernando II, São Pedro de Sintra.
Salt of Portugal 
I find everything about Portugal glorious; its people, the food, the countryside,…. everything,,,and Sintra is a fairyland
We agree!
Is São Pedro de Sintra in Sintra? If so, I would definitely go there. Too bad I won’t be able to bring trees back to the US, but will see if there are any spices to buy 🙂 Thank you!
São Pedro de Sintra is in Sintra. You can buy a bottle of piri piri sauce in the supermarket to take home. Our favorite brand is Gallo.
Thank you! This I will do and add it to my list 🙂
My father always had a piri piri plant in the garden in Portugal, and now I also keep one in my conservatory in London. It keeps on producing the little peppers until quite late and then goes to ‘sleep’ for a while, but it comes back to life in Spring. The one I have at the moment is not the original one; the weather being what it is, I have had to replace it. But it is not difficult to grow from seed and it is very useful for caldeiradas, tomato rice, curries…Haven’t been to Sintra for years! As a youngster I did walk up to the Palace (several times), but I couldn’t do it now…
Thank you for sharing your lovely memories of Sintra and piri piri trees.
That’s a prolific tree. How is it doing now?
Sadly, the tree did not survive during the winter. Maybe it was not meant to be planted by the sea. We are looking for a replacement.
Oh hope you will find a new tree!