Spain may have Tapas but Portugal has Petiscos!

Usually, locals, when meeting friends, for example, may seek out the greatest “Tasca” with the best “petiscos”. The “petiscos”, or snacks, may be different from region to region, but the flavours and the atmosphere around the table with some bifanas and a beer are inexplicable.

Bifanas

Not only found in a Tasca but also in popular parties. Bifanas are probably the most famous Portuguese snacks, being common to see people eating one or two for breakfast, with a beer, or two, of course. Some believe that this pork sandwich is typically from Alentejo, however, some recipes made in North Portugal are as great as the bifanas made in Alentejo, for example.

Bifana is a sandwich with pork meat, sliced very thinly, cooked in oil, and seasoned with spices and white wine. In Porto, the recipe also includes tomato sauce, adding acid flavour to the dish. It is impossible to eat only one bifana, usually, people ask for, at least, two, so it can be properly enjoyed!

Pipis

Hearing that people eat chicken gizzards, livers, hearts, and necks may seem weird, but if put together by the right cook, people will definitely taste Portuguese culture in a dish.

Properly cooked, the “pipis” are definitely a great snack to have at the table, with friends or family. Cooked in a sauce with white wine and tomato sauce. Because of this sauce, it is imperative to have loads of bread, pão alentejano would be the greatest. Combining the bread and the sauce will take people’s palate to heaven, especially with a bit of “piri-piri”, to spice things up.

Peixinhos da horta

Portuguese cuisine is not only about meat. There are also vegetarian snacks, like peixinhos da horta. Literally translated to “farm’s little fishes”, this dish has nothing to do with fish, besides probably its shape.

This recipe is fried green beans that were involved in batter, similar to tempura, which, by the way, has a Portuguese origin. Besides not being the most common snack, it may be found in some specific restaurants.

Chouriço assado

Once again, ideal for a picnic, in the right “Tasca”, or at home. Chouriço assado is probably the easiest recipe out of all the dishes mentioned before. All it requires is a clay grill and alcohol, to make sure the chouriço is grilled with proper fire.

Some people may cut all the chouriço, without completely slicing it, making the grilling process much easier and quicker. Similarly to other Portuguese “petiscos”, chouriço assado goes well with bread and cheese.

Pica-Pau

Although being named after a bird – a woodpecker, in Portuguese, is pica-pau – the dish has nothing to do with the bird.

Pica-pau is usually made with pork or beef, sometimes being mixed. The meat is fried in a pan, for example, and has a beer sauce, which also requires to have bread by the table to accompany the dish. They usually come with Portuguese pickles, which means, pickles made from carrots, cauliflower, and sometimes cucumber.

Caracóis

It is that time of the year, and snails may be served again. Especially in south Portugal, esplanades will be filled with people eating snails, with bread, toasted by preference, and some glasses of “imperial” on the tables. It may happen to see people eating snails in Central Portugal, but instead of an “imperial”, people will be drinking “finos”, which is the exact same thing.

Bon appétit!

Find the best “Tascas” to taste these magnificent dishes, that are part of the Portuguese culture. Certainly, there are many more traditional snacks, or “petiscos” to taste throughout Portugal, ask a local and they will know where the best food is made!

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos