Obrigado

Portugal Summer 2022

I’ve always had a soft spot for Portugal since my heritage is Portuguese. My family is originally from the Azores Islands and I wanted to make my first trip abroad for True North to be just that, a trip to find home. 

I dedicated a few weeks of the summer to a culinary trek through this amazing country. Our group flew into Portugal and took a train to the northern city of Porto. We first explored the Douro River Valley, enjoying the Port wine and olive vineyards. This is where we were first introduced to the world of tinned fish!

The beautiful canned-seafood stores seem to resemble art galleries. Once you open the small tins, you can appreciate how art can manifest in many different forms. From smoked mussels to preserved lemon sardines, the flavor combos are endless.

The enthusiasm for their food and their use of genuine, unprocessed ingredients was inspiring. We got to have an amazing dining experience at Emotivo Gastronomy in Porto.

Chef Sara Verde guided us on a culinary journey through Portugal, highlighting the diverse offerings of the country. She started the night by letting us pick a toy off a plate. Each toy represented a different region of Portugal and the one you picked determined the origin of your dishes. We got the Azores! She then took us on a seven-course journey through the islands. I have never had better house made butter, the milk coming from cows from the Azores made it very creamy with just the right amount of salt.

After Porto we made our journey down the coast of Portugal stopping in different cities to try the local favorites. In Aveiro we sampled Ovos moles de Aveiro. Very thin wafers, shaped like fish and seashells with a creamy egg mixture inside. Obidos, is a walled-in Moorish Castle that feels as if it is in a fairy tale. Here we try a local favorite, Ginja! A cherry liquor served in a chocolate style shot glass. A perfet way to finish a meal.

We concluded our journey through Portugal in Lisbon, the capital city, which is a vast hub of diverse cultural influences.

We decided to divide our city trip into two segments. Initially, we stayed in the Barrio Alto neighborhood at the top of the hills, and then we relocated to the coastal neighborhood of Chiado for the latter part of our stay. 

In Lisbon we visited the Time Out Market, where our Catering Manager Cathy still raves about having the best hot dog of her life.

We also learned to make Pastel De Nata in Lisbon and all the best places to eat them (which is everywhere and anywhere). We took our last day to explore all the open markets and make our own charcuterie board for dinner in our rented apartment overlooking the Tagus River. What I took home from Portugal is to always remember to cook with passion, know where your food comes from, and sometimes the simple dishes shared with friends are the best ones.