Eating Like a Local – Portugal

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My motto in traveling is “Though you are a foreigner, always eat like a local.” So, if I am with friends who are natives of the country in which I am traveling, I ask them to order for me what they like to eat. If I am alone, I ask the waiter what they, or the chef, suggest. I end up eating many items that I would never be likely to try in the States, thus adding a delightful richness of experience to my overseas dining. This might seem like an obvious strategy for a traveler, but I think many times we want familiarity in our food and in the process miss out on the delights of a particular country’s food and culture. As an example, I travel regularly to Portugal for work, spending most of my time in the north in the vicinity of the city of Porto. On a recent visit, I went to dinner with several colleagues. I applied my motto resulting in a wonderful food experience. Our meal began with a codfish ovary/egg paste on bread and a fish soup (tomato/cream-based), accompanied by white Vino Verde (‘green wine’ – the designation of ‘green’ indicates that this type of wine is meant to be drunk immediately upon bottling, rather than letting it age, and that it is to be served very “fresca”, i.e. cold). The wine was very nice, though the red version we had next was not so enjoyable. This highlights one basic fact, you will not like all the food that residents do (then again, do you like all American cuisines?), but enjoying this act of discovery can also add a zest to your travel!

The main course consisted of whole squid that had been breaded lightly, fried and then doused with a tomato sauce. I expected this to be tough and rubbery given that the squid were close to 10 inches in length, but they were very tender with a mild and wonderful flavor. The side dish with the squid was fritas (fried potatoes) and rice. After enough starch to plug a horse, I wanted to sit still and not face any more food. That was when the whole bream fish (complete with head and accompanied by more potatoes) arrived. I stated flatly to my hosts that I had no intention of putting any more food into my engorged abdomen.

I then proceeded to eat the entire side of one fish, plus some of the potatoes. The meal was capped off with a silky port that I could have drunk all night, but since I had to work the next day, I chose moderation. As I waddled back to my friend’s car, I marveled again at how food helps me to experience the depth of a culture. All through this meal the intimate connections of the Portuguese with the land and the sea reverberated through the food and drink.

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