I just had to write a separate post about my food experiences in Porto, Portugal. I think one of the most exciting things about visiting a country and the best way to be introduced to a new culture is eating the food of that country. Our first night in Porto, two of my roommates and I separated from the rest of the crew to have an authentic Portuguese meal. The owner of the restaurant we went to (I wish I knew the name of it) welcomed us inside and sat us down at a table, telling us he could make us whatever we would like, knowing that we were new to Portugal. We told him that we wanted to try Portuguese food, so we asked for his advice on which plates were the best to order.

We ended up ordering four separate dishes to split between the three of us and ordered a bottle of white wine which ended up being the best wine we ever had (it wasn’t port wine, thankfully; we needed something a little lighter and refreshing). Before our meal, we were served tapas, similar to Spain. One of the tapas was sort of like an empanada with a fish filling and the other was like a long croquetta filled with veal. Both types of tapas gave us a great first impression to Portuguese food. Our meal ended up consisting of rice and red beans,  a delicious beef and potatoes dish (and I’m usually not a beef person), fried codfish, and rice with calamari. We cleaned our plates.

So I didn’t know until I came to Porto, but pastries seem to be a thing here. It seemed like everywhere I went, I was passing by windows displaying pastries galore that made my mouth water. After the free tour with Tiago, Emily and I asked him what was the best pastry to get when in Porto and he said something about a yellow cake. What we found (I don’t know if its what he was referring to but I wouldn’t have wanted anything else) was this little yellow tart (which our new little Taiwanese friend from the tour group informed us as being an egg tart). The egg tart was absolutely to die for. Filled with a creamy custard, each bite just melted in your mouth. It was also only 90 cents!

And, for the drum roll. The all time best meal you could have in Portugal is francesinha. This dish originates in Porto and is the kind of meal that could cause a heart attack (my friends and I joked that the restaurant probably had the hospital on speed dial). Hearing that it was the best place to get francesinha, Emily, Elyse, and I (the same group that tried the authentic Portuguese meal together) went in search for Santiago Cafe. After having some trouble finding it, we walked into the restaurant hungry and ready to take on this very full meal. So, to describe this Portuguese dish, I first of all can compare it to a hamburger; but it is much different from the hamburger Americans are used to. Basically francesinha is two thick grilled toasts with layers and layers of meats (such as sausage, ham, and steak) and cheese inside, topped with a fried egg and more sliced cheese, surrounded by french fries (with more cheese bits on top of that), and all covered with this amazing Portuguese gravy sauce. It was the most delicious (and fattening) thing I had ever eaten and I was almost able to scarf the entire thing down save for a bite or two.