Food

Portuguese beer

~ saltofportugal ~ 3 Comments

Beer has been produced in Portugal at least since the Lusitanos occupied the region. Issues with refrigeration and poor branding prevented the Lusitanos from gaining market share in the Iberian Peninsula before the Roman conquest in 27 B.C. These problems were gradually surpassed over the next 20 centuries.

Two leading brands eventually emerged: Super Bock, introduced in the 1930s, and Sagres, introduced in the 1940s.  Both beers taste great on a hot Summer day. Both taste even better in their draft versions, which you can enjoy at many beach-side cafés.

Super Bock is more popular in the north of Portugal while Sagres is more popular in the south. We try not to take sides in the Sagres versus Super Bock controversy. But, the perceptive reader might find signs of a slight bias on our part.

Ginjinha

~ saltofportugal ~ 4 Comments

“Ginjinha” is a liquor made from sour cherries called “ginjas.” It is produced in various locations, including Alcobaça, Bombarral, and Caldas da Rainha. But the most famous ginjinha comes from Óbidos, a region where the Romans planted cherry trees.

There are several producers, including FrutÓbidos, Oppidum (the Latin name for Óbidos), and Ibn Errik Rex (the Arab name for the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques). Each producer has its proprietary, carefully guarded, secret recipe.

You won’t be surprised, dear reader, to know that we have our own secret ginjinha recipe. Rumor has it that our ginjinha is made only from ginjas harvested during the new moon and that it uses dew collected at dawn from the petals of wild flowers. We are neither confirming nor denying.

Portuguese corn bread

~ saltofportugal ~ 1 Comment

Broa is a delicious corn bread that is a great complement to many Portuguese dishes (if you guessed that broa goes great with grilled sardines, you guessed right).

For a while broa was hard to find in urban areas where people preferred bread made with white flour. But, over time, urbanites saw the error in their ways, so now you can find broa almost everywhere. The texture and color varies by region but the taste is always deeply satisfying.

Bottled sunshine

~ saltofportugal ~ 3 Comments

Favaios is an aperitif made from muscatel grapes grown in the Douro region. These grapes trap the sunlight all year round, which is why Favaios looks like liquid sun.

You will not be surprised, dear reader, to know that the best place to enjoy Favaios is by the beach at 6:30 pm, when the sun is tired and all is at peace. Favaios can be enjoyed outside of Portugal. But it will only remind you that you’re not in Portugal.