Portuguese food is unique and varied. There is something for everyone on the menu, with options for seafood and meat lovers.
Portuguese cuisine is full of intense flavours. Many Portuguese recipes feature potatoes, garlic, onions and rice.
If you're not planning on traveling to Portugal, don't worry. Portuguese food is made in restaurants and bakeries all over the United States.
Popular Portuguese cuisine includes grilled sardines and custard. (Getty Images)
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If you're feeling up to it, you can also create popular Portuguese dishes in your own kitchen.
Below are some popular bites to try.
- Bacalhau à brás (salted cod)
- Polvo à Lagareiro (octopus with olive oil and potatoes)
- Duck rice
- Sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines)
- Seafood cataplana (seafood stew)
- Cream cake
1. Bacalhau à brás (salted cod)
Cod, or salted cod, is one of the most popular foods in Portugal.
Grilled cod is a way of serving fish.
Shredded cod is used in pan-fried cod and is mixed with chopped onion, finely chopped French fries and scrambled eggs, according to Food & Wine.
This dish is traditionally seasoned with parsley and olives.
Codfish al bras is a mixture of ingredients that includes shredded cod, potatoes and onions. (Paul Yeung/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
2. Polvo à Lagareiro (octopus with olive oil and potatoes)
Another popular seafood dish in Portugal is polvo à lagareiro, which is octopus with olive oil and potatoes.
This dish is simple, but the challenge is to cook the octopus to perfection.
The ideal texture is soft, rather than rubbery, according to Portugal.com.
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In this dish, octopus is baked in olive oil and plenty of garlic, and served with mashed, seasoned potatoes on the side.
3. Duck rice
Duck rice is another dish made with few ingredients but still full of flavor.
The shredded duck in this dish is served over rice along with Chouriço, a Portuguese sausage.
When preparing this dish at home, do not discard the duck broth. You can use it to give more flavor to the rice.
Chouriço, a Portuguese sausage, is used in many dishes. (Bob Henry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Duck rice is typically served on special occasions such as Sunday dinner or on holidays such as Christmas and New Year.
4. Sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines)
Sardinhas assadas, grilled sardines, may seem a little intimidating to first-timers, but it's a beloved Portuguese dish.
The dish can be found in Portugal year-round, but is especially popular in Lisbon during the feast of Saint Anthony, Food & Wine notes.
Sardines are grilled after being marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and other seasonings.
Sardines served grilled, covered in olive oil and seasoning, are a must-try dish in Portugal. (Horacio Villalobos#476916#51B ED/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Grilled sardines are usually served on a slice of toasted bread.
5. Seafood cataplana (seafood stew)
If you love seafood, this dish is packed with it.
This stew is made with plenty of seafood, including fresh fish, clams and shrimp.
White wine, olive oil, potatoes, onion, garlic and tomatoes are other prominent ingredients in this popular dish.
6. Pastel de nata (custard tart)
To close the list, a delicious dessert.
This cake has a flaky exterior with a sweet cream in the center.
Custard is made with milk, cornstarch, vanilla, sugar and egg yolks, according to All Recipes.
Pastel de nata is sold in Portuguese bakeries throughout the United States. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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A pinch of cinnamon is often added to the dough and it is usually accompanied with a cup of coffee.
