An Atlantic seafaring cuisine built on salt cod (bacalhau), olive oil, coriander, and an empire-era love of spice that helped reshape global cooking.
What it is
Portuguese cuisine grew along the Atlantic, where centuries of cod fishing off Newfoundland and an empire stretching to Brazil, Goa, Macau, and Mozambique left both inbound and outbound marks. The country brought chili back from the Americas and exported tempura technique to Japan.
How it tastes
Olive oil, garlic, and coriander define the base; salt cod and chouriço sausage supply the savory; piri-piri delivers what little chili Europe got. Stews are hearty; bread soaks up every sauce; egg-yolk-rich pastry traditions trace back to convent kitchens.
Signature dishes & techniques
Bacalhau — salt cod — has reportedly 365 ways to be cooked, one for each day of the year. Pastéis de nata, the cinnamon-dusted custard tart from the Jerónimos monastery in Belém, became Portugal’s most exported bite. Caldo verde, frango piri-piri, and the Sunday cozido boiled dinner round out the everyday rotation.
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Portuguese starts with P and ends with E. Browse other cuisines along the same letter.
Cuisines that contain a letter from "Portuguese":