10 things to eat and drink when you're in Portugal and Northern Spain
But there are some traditional (and not-so-traditional) foods you should seek out while you're in the area.
Here are 10 dishes to try — most of which are difficult to find elsewhere in the world.
1. Cachorrinhos (small hot dogs): Popular especially in Porto, these skinny sausages, stuffed into a long crispy, fluffy roll along with a little cheese and some piri piri hot sauce, are a hot-dog lover's dream. We had one at Gazela, a popular local watering hole in Porto that became world famous after Anthony Bourdain's visit there aired in 2017.
That being said, expect to wait a bit for a table, especially during peak hours. Given how insanely cheap the hot dogs and crisp, refreshing beer are, I'd say it's worth every second. Pro tip: Get more than one, especially if you're there with more than two people. They are so good you'll regret not having one more nibble.
2. Portuguese pastries: If you're at all aware of the Portuguese food scene, you probably know about pastel de nata, the little cream tarts served all over Lisbon and much of the country. But what you might not know is that every little town in Portugal has a pastry it is known for. Stop into any local bakery and ask for their specialty, many of which contain obscene amounts of egg yolks. That being said, we did spend quite a bit of time trying to find the best pastel de nata, and I think we landed on Manteigaria, which has locations all over Lisbon and goes through so many of the tarts that they are always just-out-of-the-oven warm.
3. Bifanas: These pork sandwiches, served on a light, airy, crusty roll, are popular all over Portugal. We found a most excellent version at Taxca, a Porto bar popular with locals. For the filling, pork loin is pounded thin and marinated in white wine, garlic, paprika, and sometimes a few hot chiles, as is the case with the spicy version at Taxca, where the guys behind the bar pile a bun high with the meat before dragging it through the jus. I'm honestly still thinking about this simple, perfect sandwich nearly a month later.
4. Francesinha: This sandwich, found at nearly every casual eatery in Portugal, is anything but simple. Two pieces of square bread are layered with steak, ham and cheese, then smothered with a tomato and beer sauce before being topped with a sunny-side-up egg. It is messy, it is delicious, and it is the perfect hangover food. I speak from experience.
5. Ginjinha: I'm not always a liqueur person — generally, they are too sweet for me — but this cherry-infused brandy, found all over Portugal, is pretty good! The sour cherries it's made with offer a lot of complexity, and though there's sugar, it doesn't taste overwhelmingly sweet. Often, it's served in an edible chocolate shot glass.
First, you sip it down a bit, then you put the whole thing in your mouth and chew for the best experience. Don't worry — the ultra-helpful Portuguese will give you a tutorial when you order it. My favorite was a chocolate-cup shot from a woman selling them on the street in Lisbon's Alfama neighborhood.
6. Pinchos or Pintxos: The former is the Spanish spelling; the latter is Basque. These little snacks — often one or two bites for people with bigger mouths than mine — are the Basque Country's answer to tapas, and I love them. Sometimes served on little slices of baguette, sometimes on skewers, they're usually meat or fish adorned with vegetables and whatever else strikes the chef's fancy.
Traditionally, people in the region would go out for a drink and one pinchos before dinner, but as they have grown in popularity, tourists and locals alike are making dinner out of hopping from one restaurant to the next, ordering a little snack and a drink at each until they're full. I love the tapas crawl culture in southern Spain, so the pinchos crawl was a delight for us. The best places we found to do this were Logroño and San Sebastian's old town.
7. Piparras: These mildly spicy small peppers are popular in Basque Country. If you can find them dipped in tempura batter and fried, you're in luck. They are so delicious that we returned to Bar la Quimera, the place that sold them this way in Logroño, for a second night in a row.
8. Jamón Ibérico: All over Spain, the people love ham. They are proud of their ham. They put it on everything. It is delicious. Honestly, it's gotta be tough to be someone who doesn't eat pork in these parts because it's hard to avoid it.
9. Basque cheesecake: Though I wouldn't necessarily call this a traditional Basque food — it was invented at La Viña in San Sebastian in the 1980s — this cheesecake has gone viral on social media for a reason. It's simple, creamy and delicious. Unlike New York cheesecake, there's no crust on this 'cake,' it's just all the good stuff, cooked at a higher temperature than the U.S. version to keep the inside extra creamy and burnish the outside just enough to offer a caramelized flavor and a little texture. Pair it with a glass of Txakoli, see below.
10. Txakoli: Although it is possible to find this tart, slightly effervescent Basque Country white wine in Minnesota (I scored two brands at Mick's Bottle Shop on St. Paul's Grand Avenue), it's something you can and should drink while you're in the area. It is much cheaper there, and it goes really well with seafood pinchos and, well, everything. Our group drank many bottles of it in Logroño and San Sebastian. Apparently, Txakoli had been poorly regarded by wine snobs for many years, but has recently grown in popularity. I'm not a wine snob, but I think it's delightful.
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