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Portugal travel facts
| Area (sq km): | 91,950 | |
| Population: | 10,524,145 | |
| Nationality: | Portuguese | |
| Local Name: | Portugal | |
| Language: | Portuguese, Mirandese |
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| Time Zone: | GMT | |
| Currency: | 1 euro = 100 cents | |
| Rate: | www.xe.com | |
| Capital: | Lisbon | |
| Dialling Code: | +351 | |
| Electricity: | 220V/50Hz | |
| Internet Code: | .pt | |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic, Protestant |
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| Climate: | Mediterranean, Maritime |
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| Government: | Parliamentary Democracy | |
| Inoculations: | None | |
| Driving: | Right | |
| Int'l License: | Not Required | |
| Banking: | M-F 8.30-15.00 | |
| Major Airports: | Faro(FAO), Lisbon(LIS), Madeira(FNC), Porto(OPO) |
Portugal villas and Portuguese food
Portuguese food is complex yet completely satisfying. The cuisine is often sweet and features many types of desserts that are paired with great Portuguese wine. Book Portugal villas and sample popular dishes that incorporate amazing fish and aromatic bold spices.
Food in Portugal
Food in Portugal has its origins from both near and far. The Portuguese celebrate a very ancient seafaring tradition, as you will discover when you rent Portugal villas. Along with that comes the discovery of many precious things, including the discovery of rich and aromatic spices not at all common in ancient Europe. With the expansion of their overseas empire, the Portuguese brought paprika, saffron, ginger and coriander back with them to Europe.
They also introduced Europe to tea, coffee, pineapples, rice and peanuts. For hundreds of years Portuguese food has been evolving into an eclectic mix of robust worldly delights. The Atlantic Coast is rich in fish and shellfish making these items staples in the Portuguese diet. Enjoy all of the tastes delights by booking villas in Portugal.
Serra da Estrela and types of Portuguese food
One of the most popular types of Portuguese food is relatively simple, but found on almost every menu; caldo verde. Caldo verde is a soup made from shredded cabbage, potatoes, olive oil and chourico (Portuguese pork sausage). Its deliciousness comes from its age old recipe and its simplicity.
When staying at Portugal villas you must try the bacalhau which is served positively everywhere! It is dried codfish and is sublime. Portugal’s national dish is called cozido and is best described as being similar to corned beef and cabbage. The best Portuguese cheese is queijo da Serra. It comes from the Serra da Estrela region and is comparable to brie from France.
Traditional Portuguese food and Marzipan
Desserts in Portugal are fabulous! The varieties seem never ending, and you can tell instantly that the Portuguese take pastries seriously. Ovos moles can be found with most pies, tarts and cakes. The airy sponge cake, pao de lo, is a traditional Portuguese food and has loads of variations. One of the best is made in Algarve with almond paste which you might know as marzipan.
Port wine and Madeira wine
The most famous of Portuguese wine is port wine. Port is classed as a dessert wine due to its high sugar content. Its alcohol content is also higher than most wines at 19-22%. It is a rich and delectable wine classed by age and colour into categories like aloirado claro, aloirado, tinto aloirado and tinto.
Madeira wines are famous indeed. This is more of a dessert wine also with typical floral scents. The Douro wines tend to be robust and flavourful, while the Dao wines have understated currents and warm tones, a perfect choice to accompany Portuguese food when you rent Portugal villas with VillasPeople.com. Wherever you dine and whatever you eat, you'll find the food in Portugal delicious.