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Wondering what to eat during your time in Portugal? You will not go hungry! Portugal offers a number of delicious local specials and good wine. You will find unique foods in each region, with many good restaurants.

Some of the newer restaurants offer vegetarian dishes, but Portugal is well-know for its meat. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken are made into special meat dishes around the country. If you’re in a hurry, you can try a grilled beef or grilled pork sandwiches.

Portugal is also well-known for its fish. There’s a famous dish called bacalhau, which is dry cod. There are many, many variations on this dish. Sardines are also popular, as is caldeirada, which is a potato stew with fish.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you will be pleased to discover the pastries, which use simple ingredients to create a delicious flavor. Many of these were developed by nuns in the 18th century. The names, like “bacon from heaven” (toucinho do céu), indicate their origins!

The following desserts are also typical of Portugal: flan, rice-pudding, and cheese. Sheep and goat’s milk cheeses are quite popular. Each region has its own bread and cheese. In the restaurants, bread is baked in house (or at the bakery next door).

If you’re a coffee drinker, you might like “bica” which is like espresso. You can get this from almost any restaurant or bar in Portugal. There are several variations: the italiana is half full, and the bica cheia is completely full. Of course, that’s not all: there are many variations! For example: a bica pingada is an espresso with a splash of milk.