Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Portuguese recipes, part of Europe. This page provides links to all the Portuguese recipes presented on this site, with 59 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Portuguese recipes added to this site.

Portugal, officially República Portuguesa (the Portugese Republic) is a Parliamentary Democracy on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula, situated in the region of Europe that the United Nations defines as 'Southern Europe'. Lisbon is the capital (and largest) city and Portugese is the official language (though Mirandese is a recognized regional language). The original inhabitants of Portugal were Celtic and Lusitanian peoples and the region was brought into the Roman Empire during the second century BCE.

Portugese cuisine is very diverse, ranging from traditional staples such as salt cod and herring through beef, pork, lamb, or chicken to chilli and bell pepper dishes. Indeed, the Portugese were the first to bring chillies from the New World and to cultivate them extensively. It's thanks to them that piri-piri chillies grow wild in West Africa. The Portugese also have an independent pastry tradition, based on the Pastéis de Nata (cream custards) of Lisbon and, as a whole, the country has a tradition of good food. It should also be noted that the Douro wine region in Portugal is the world's most established wine region.

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, (República Portuguesa in Portuguese) is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe, whose territory also includes the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. It features the westernmost point in continental Europe; its mainland west and south border with the North Atlantic Ocean; and in the north and east, the Portugal-Spain border, which constitutes the longest uninterrupted border line in the European Union. Portugal is the oldest nation-state in Europe. Founded in 1143, its current borders were established in mid-13th century, making them some of the most ancient in Europe and the world. Its archipelagos form two autonomous regions with their own regional governments. On the mainland, the Alentejo region occupies the biggest area but is one of the least densely populated regions of Europe. Lisbon is the capital and largest city by population, and it is also the main spot for tourists alongside Porto, the Algarve and Madeira.

As one of the oldest countries in Europe, its territory has been continuously settled and fought over since prehistoric times. The territory was inhabited by the Celtic and Iberian peoples. It was later ruled by the Romans, followed by the invasions of Germanic peoples together with the Alans and later the Moors, who were eventually expelled during the Reconquista. First founded as a county within the Kingdom of León in 868, Portugal formally became an independent kingdom with the Treaty of Zamora in 1143.

During the Age of Discovery, particularly in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established one of the longest-lived maritime and commercial empires, becoming one of the main economic and political powers of the time. By the early 19th century, events such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the resulting independence of Brazil in 1822 led to a marked decay of Portugal's prior opulence. This was followed by the civil war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists over royal succession from 1828 to 1834. The 1910 revolution deposed Portugal's monarchy and established the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic, later superseded by the authoritarian regimes of Ditadura Nacional (National Dictatorship) and Estado Novo (New State). Democracy was restored after the Carnation Revolution (1974), ending the Portuguese Colonial War and eventually losing its remaining colonial possessions.

The word Portugal derives from the combined Roman-Celtic place name Portus Cale (present-day's conurbation of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia). Porto stems from the Latin for port, portus; Cale's meaning and origin is unclear. The mainstream explanation is an ethnonym derived from the Callaeci, also known as the Gallaeci peoples, who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. One theory proposes Cale is a derivation of the Celtic word for 'port'. Another is that Cala was a Celtic goddess. Some French scholars believe it may have come from Portus Gallus, the port of the Gauls.

Around 200 BC, the Romans took Iberia from the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War. In the process they conquered Cale, renaming it Portus Cale ('Port of Cale') and incorporating it into the province of Gallaecia. During the Middle Ages, the region around Portus Cale became known by the Suebi and Visigoths as Portucale. The name Portucale changed into Portugale during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 9th century, it was used to refer to the region between the rivers Douro and Minho. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Portugale, Portugallia, Portvgallo or Portvgalliae was already referred to as Portugal.

Food and Cuisine:

Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese consume a lot of dry cod (bacalhau in Portuguese), for which there are many recipes ranging from bacalhau à Brás, bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, to bacalhau com natas. Other fish recipes include grilled sardines and caldeirada, a tomato-based stew that can be made from several types of fish or shellfish, with a mix of onion, garlic, bay leaf, potatoes, peppers, parsley

Typical Portuguese meat recipes made out of the customary beef, pork, chicken, goat, lamb or duck meat, include cozido à portuguesa, feijoada, frango de churrasco, leitão (roast suckling pig), chanfana and carne de porco à alentejana. Typical fast food dishes include the Francesinha (Frenchie) from Porto and bifanas (grilled pork) or prego (grilled beef) sandwiches. An egg custard tart pastry, the pastel de nata, typical and popular among the Portuguese, became popular abroad and among foreign tourists visiting the country as well.

Portuguese wines have enjoyed recognition since the Romans, who associated Portugal with their god Bacchus, due to its climate. Some of the best Portuguese wines are Vinho Verde, Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet Port Wine, Madeira Wine, and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios.

Portugal's National Dishes:

Below are listed the dishes considered to be Portugal's national foods along with links to the recipes for those dishes:

Bacalhau à Brás (Salt Cod, Potatoes and Eggs)      Origin: Portugal	Espetada (Madeiran Beef Kebabs)      Origin: Portugal	Pasteis de Belém      Origin: Portugal
Bacalhau com Batatas (Salt Cod with Potatoes)      Origin: Portugal	Frango de Churrasco (Barbecued Piri-piri Chicken)      Origin: Portugal	Prego no Pão (Portuguese Prego Sandwich)      Origin: Portugal
Caldo Verde (Green Soup)      Origin: Portugal	Pastéis de nata (Cream Custards)      Origin: Portugal	Sardinhas Assadas (Grilled Sardines)      Origin: Portugal