Portugal – Day 1

After a rest and a shower, I met my guide Cecilia R and ventured out late afternoon for a History of Food wandering among the sweet shops, cafeterias and grocery stores in old town Lisbon. It turned out to be a fascinating journey.

Before the creation of cafeterias (following the earthquake in the 18th C which levelled the city), the only place that people congregated naturally was the church. Following the earthquake and the creation of cafeterias – residents could also congregate in the very spot where they purchased their coffee and sweets. From 1926-1974 (the end of the dictatorship) cafeterias and churches were also the only place that residents could congregate legally. Our first stop was the famous Confeitaria Nacional established in 1829: an eclectic mixture of mirrors, wood, wrought iron and tiles.

Visited in the past by Royalty; I understood why after trying some of their specialties. The first, a type of jelly donut from Germany with a Portuguese twist (the translation of the german name is Berlins Ball), was introduced to Portugal by Jewish refugees escaping the Nazis in the late 1930’s. The second called God’s Breath ( and it was heavenly) is a sweet bread developed in Portugal for All Saints Day. Both delicacies were accompanied by coffee, which is sourced mainly from Brazil. Cecilia had a cool chart on her phone which I copied showing the types of coffee available in the city.

Coffee here is different from the large leisurely cup of brew consumed at home. Here it is STRONG, served as espresso in small cups, drunk by many people using a style similar to a tequila shot. The shock of doing that sent me directly to a pastry – the combination of sugar and caffeine finally making sense. Tea is also consumed here. The majority grown elsewhere, although The Azores do grow some tea commercially. An interesting side note – tea was introduced to England by Catherine of Braganza (Portuguese)  who married Charles II. A thought is that she took a large chest of it with her as part of her dowry. As she drank it, the nobility followed her lead and soon the custom became intrenched in the country.

Our next stop was the final remaining grocery store in the town centre – Bacalhoaria Silva which opened in 1890. The store specialities including dried salt cod, prosciutto ham and sausages, as well as cheese, wine/port and other items. Dried Cod is one of the staples of Portuguese cuisine. Refrigeration was uncommon in the country up until the 1970’s and as dried salted cod lasts up to 2 years it has long been a favourite here. Once the Portuguese had fished out European waters a trade route to eastern Canada -Newfoundland – began where Portuguese traders exchanged salt, wine and other items for canadian cod. The cod I saw in the store today is from Iceland. 

The ham and prosciutto in Portugal comes primarily from the Iberian breed of pig. There are black pigs that feed mainly on acorns and pumpkins, their feed chosen to produce a particular type of meat and fat. Ham quality is determined by the length of its curing and hanging; hanging times can range up to 2 years or so. A particular type of sausage Alheira de Mirandela was made with chicken during the time of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. One way that Jewish individuals were identified and reported was via the contents of their pantries. If a household pantry had sausage in it, then unwanted attention went elsewhere as the sausage was assumed to contain pork. The chicken version is delicious and ended up as a permanent item in Portuguese cuisine.

Our next stop was the GinJinha Sem Rival a wine store specializing in sour cherry liquor. The establishment has been in the family for generations and is one of a number of historically protected stores bearing the marker outside its entrance. These are all old family run businesses that cannot be bought and turned into any corporate entity. The Government in essence protecting locally owned and operated enterprises.  The source cherry liqueur was ???????? ???????? ???????? – I now know what to do with the several large bags of whole sour cherries in my freezer! 

A meal was in order following the sour cherry liqour. Bifana was on the menu – Portuguese hamburger- which apparently must be accompanied by beer. Not being a fan of burgers or beer I was somewhat reticent but decided to give it a go. A very wise decision. Bifana is pork cooked in a large pan with herbs, spices and an amazing sauce. It is then labelled onto freshly baked buns, garnished with strong yellow mustard and a good few squirts of piri piri (small hot pepper) sauce. The drill is take a bite, chew, swallow and chase it back with a swallow of Portuguese lager. And hey – it worked ???? Heaven!…

Our final stop for the night was a small Petiscos (Tapas Bar) above the hotel square. Portugal is famous for seafood and our tapas included creamy cod croquettes, Octopus escabeche (octopus marinated in vinegar, vegetables, sugar and rosemary), and sliced marinated sardines – accompanied by vino verde, made from immature green grapes gown in the humid rainy regions in northern Portugal. Vino verde first began to be produced in the 15th C – and often accompanied traders to Newfoundland as a trade item for cod. Our Newfie ancestors must have been a rowdy bunch with all that wine and salt ???? 

Along the way on our walk we made our way up winding alleyways, passing city landmarks, passed through numerous groups of people out enjoying the gorgeous sunset, having cocktails and simply walking in groups chatting. It has been a lovely introduction to the city.

I cannot recommend my guide Cecilia R highly enough. If you ever come to Lisbon she can be reached through toursbylocals.com. You definitely will be in good hands!