Algarve Gastronomy
Being a place of fishermen ad mostly centered in the sea, the Algarve is one of the many Portuguese gastronomic paradises dedicated to the lovers of fresh fish and the best seafood quality.
The base of the meals is mostly composed by fish, meat, vegetables and fruit, being the codfish considered the National dish. Because of this, around Christmas, while other countries eat turkey, Portugal eats codfish with boiled potatoes, cabbage and chickpeas, all seasoned with olive oil.
One of Algarve’s unique experiences are the rich and varied gastronomies that mix recipies from both the coastal and the interior regions.
Every morning boats full of fresh fish arrive to the markets. This fish is then carefully prepared at the many fine restaurants. The most popular dishes are the fish soups, octopus rice, whelks’ dish with kidney beans, the fish-stew and the shellfish açorda. In the interior regions, all dishes have a typical rural flavor, like fava beans, cherry chicken and chickpeas stew.
One of the best perfected arts in all Portugal is the desserts and sweets and this finds in the Algarve one of the best places for this art. You will want to try all of them, from “Dom Rodrigos”, the Morgadinhos, or figs filled with almonds and many other goodies made with almonds, honey and fig jam.
