A culinary journey through Portugal that will transport your taste buds abroad.

You can enjoy both savory Portuguese meals and sweet treats when dining out or preparing them at home.

A culinary journey through Portugal that will transport your taste buds abroad.
A culinary journey through Portugal that will transport your taste buds abroad.

Portuguese cuisine is distinctive and extensive, featuring a variety of dishes that cater to different tastes, including seafood and meat options.

The flavors in Portuguese cuisine are strong and intense. Numerous Portuguese dishes include potatoes, garlic, onions, and rice.

If you don't have a trip to Portugal planned, you can still enjoy Portuguese food at restaurants and bakeries across the United States.

Grilled sardines and a custard dessert
Popular Portuguese cuisine includes grilled sardines and a custard treat. (Getty Images)

You can make popular Portuguese dishes at home.

Below are a few popular bites to try.

In Portugal, cod, which is salted, is highly popular.

Bacalhau à brás is one way the fish is served.

Bacalhau à brás is a Portuguese dish that uses shredded cod, chopped onion, fried potatoes, thinly chopped and scrambled egg, according to Food & Wine.

This dish is traditionally topped with parsley and olives.

Bacalhau a Bras
Bacalhau à bras is a mixture of ingredients, including shredded cod, potatoes and onions.  (Paul Yeung/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Octopus with olive oil and potatoes is another well-liked seafood dish in Portugal.

Cooking the octopus to perfection is the challenge in this simple dish.

The ideal texture is soft, rather than rubbery, according to Portugal.com.

This dish features an octopus that is baked with olive oil and garlic, accompanied by smashed, seasoned potatoes.

Duck rice, known as arroz de pato, is a flavorful dish made with minimal ingredients.

This dish features shredded duck served on rice with Chouriço, a type of Portuguese sausage.

To enhance the taste of your rice when preparing it at home, avoid discarding the duck stock. Instead, utilize it to infuse flavor into your rice.

Chourico
Chouriço, a Portuguese sausage, is used in many dishes.  (Bob Henry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Arroz de pato is usually reserved for special events such as Sunday dinners and holidays like Christmas and New Year's.

Grilled sardines, or sardinhas assadas, may seem daunting to newcomers, but they are a cherished Portuguese cuisine.

The Feast of St. Anthony in Lisbon is when the dish is most popular, according to Food & Wine.

The sardines are marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and other seasonings before being grilled.

Sardines served grilled, covered in olive oil and seasoning, is a must-have while in Portugal.
Sardines served grilled, covered in olive oil and seasoning, is a must-have while in Portugal.  (Horacio Villalobos#476916#51B ED/Corbis via Getty Images)

The grilled sardines are often served on a piece of toasted bread.

If you love seafood, this dish is packed with it.

An abundance of seafood, including fresh fish, clams, and shrimp, is used to make this stew.

Other key ingredients in the dish include white wine, olive oil, potatoes, onion, garlic, and tomatoes.

Closing out the list is a delicious sweet treat.

This pastry has a flaky outside with a sweet custard in the center.

According to All Recipes, the recipe for custard involves milk, cornstarch, vanilla bean, sugar, and egg yolks.

Pastel de Nata
Pastel de nata is sold in Portuguese bakeries around the United States.  (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Typically, a pastry is topped with a dusting of cinnamon and is usually enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

by Ashlyn Messier

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