IN AND AROUND LISBON: ESTREMADURA AND RIBATEJO REGIONS

Most visitors who come to Portugal enter the country via Lisbon, our capital city. Some make the “mistake” of sticking to the city, forsaking all the incredible areas which aren’t very far away distance wise, but that offer such a great variety of things to see, do and eat.

Estremadura, the province which Lisbon belongs to, is a testimony to the close relationship the Portuguese have with the Atlantic ocean. On the other hand, the Ribatejo, the region to the northeast and southeast of Lisbon, which until the last century was officially a part of Estremadura, has a culture and way of life intrinsically linked with the riverside of the Tejo (or Tagus, in English), the love for the land, bulls and horses.

Estremadura: the Atlantic diet of the Portuguese

Fish and seafood markets around Lisbon

The coastline to the north of Lisbon is dotted with small towns which have historically made a living fishing. We’re talking about places such as Nazaré, Peniche, Ericeira and many tiny villages in between. Also, on the south bank of the Tagus River, which flows past Lisbon, you’ll come across places like ​​Sesimbra and Setúbal, which also have well established fishing and fish processing industries. It’s in towns like these, as well as in Lisbon itself, where you will understand from the first row how the local way of life is greatly connected to the Atlantic ocean, which not only serves as a border between Portugal and the rest of the world to the west, but is also a big source of food.

My friend Angelo (at the center) in of one his work days.

If you are a seafood lover, you shouldn’t miss a visit to a local market, where you’ll see from up close the many varieties of Atlantic fish and other seafood species which we eat around here, and which include:

Common fish the Portuguese love: sardines (sardinhas), horse mackerel (carapau), meager (corvina), sea bream (dourada), sole (linguado), red porgy (pargo), black scabbard (peixe-espada), bluemouth (cantarilho), wreckfish (cherne), conger (congro), John-Dory (peixe-galo), swordfish (espadarte), sea bass (robalo), red mullet (salmonete), and more.

Small squids, called ‘pontilhitas’, at one of my favorite restaurants in the Sado region (Setúbal) close to the local salt flats. Pérola da Mourisca restaurant.

Other seafood you should try in Portugal: squid (lulas), cuttlefish (choco), octopus (polvo), prawns of all sizes (gambas), crawfish (lagostins), scarlet shrimp (carabineiros), crab (sapateira), spider crab (santola), velvet crabs (navalheiras), European lobster (lavagente), gooseneck barnacles (percebes – such as the very prized percebes from Berlengas islands, off the coast of Peniche), clams (amêijoas), razor clams (lingueirão), spiny dye-murex (canilha), conch (búzios), and more.

A trip to Mercado Municipal de Peniche (R. António Conceição Bento 23A, 2520-294 Peniche), Mercado da Ribeira in Lisbon (Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisbon), or the remarkable Mercado do Livramento in Setúbal (​​Av. Luísa Todi 163, 2900-462 Setúbal) will lay the grounds for a deep seafood exploration which we highly recommend you embark on while visiting this region of Portugal. Don’t be afraid to approach the fish selling stands and ask questions, as vendors will generally be happy to oblige and answer any doubts you may have about the local varieties of fish. But for something truly unique head to Nazaré, a seaside town otherwise famed for having the biggest waves ever surfed, and where the beach is still an open-air artisanal production plant for fish drying. Even though the fish curing industry is not as strong as it once was, you’ll still be able to see ladies dressed in traditional attire (which includes a bulky skirt with seven layers of cloth!) gutting and hanging mackerel (carapau seco) and a few other species to naturally dry under the sun. These dry fishes were once prepared in order to have food to last all winter long, when the harsh weather prevented fishermen from taking their boats into the ocean, and are now used to flavor stocks and, after being rehydrated, to create a variety of local seafood dishes.

Traditional fish dishes

Other must-try seafood dishes all over Estremadura include charcoal grills, such as the uber popular grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) eaten in Lisbon during the St. Anthony festival in June, when the city’s central neighborhoods will be covered in a cloud of smoke, where the smell of grilled fish lingers in the air with the potential to make you hungry any time of the day. Don’t underestimate this simple dish of charcoal grilled fish with boiled potatoes and tangy roasted peppers salad (salada de pimentos), because it has even been voted as one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy and, as sardines are a seasonal fish available during warmer months, Lisbonites wait all year long for sardines to be finally available, and at last set up their grills and enjoy meals outdoors while hanging out with family and friends. Pair your sardinhas assadas with a nice glass of chilled white vinho verde, and you got yourself a quintessential Lisbon experience!

‘Caldeirada’ stew

Setúbal and Sesimbra: fish villages around Lisbon to visit

Crossing the Tagus river and going to Setúbal means ordering choco frito, at least for a lot of residents of Greater Lisbon. Fried cuttlefish strips are one of the area’s most popular dishes, and in Setúbal city you’ll even be greeted by a funny statue of a cuttlefish which tourists often click their photo with, and which pays a tribute to one of the favorite species which locals enjoy breaded and deep-fried, along with fries and a refreshing salad. The district of Setúbal encompasses the city of Setúbal, but also the municipality of Sesimbra, arguably one of the Portuguese towns whose history has been the most linked to the Atlantic ocean. Travel to Sesimbra to soak up the sun at the beach, to marvel at the charming natural landscapes, but most of all to feast on seafood. Typical Sesimbra dishes include fish grills (do not miss the bifes de espadarte, that is, swordfish steaks), and also heartier recipes such as caldeirada, also known as caldeirada de Sesimbra. Caldeiradas are typical Portuguese fishermen stews, similar to the French bouillabaisse, with ingredients that can vary greatly depending on the catch of the day. Once upon a time, caldeiradas were prepared by fishing families, with scraps of fish and whatever bits and pieces they didn’t manage to sell on a given day. But currently a good caldeirada de peixe may contain delicacies such a monkfish (tamboril), European conger (safio), rayfish (raia), sardines and others, stewed in between layers of potatoes, peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions, and simple seasonings of olive oil, garlic and a little white wine to help the juices flow. Caldeirada is one of the most representative dishes of this region, and you shouldn’t definitely miss it when visiting Estremadura. If you are into this sort of flavor profile, chances are you’ll also enjoy sopa de peixe, fish soup readily available in many regional restaurants focusing on seafood.

Exploring Roman Garum fish sauce during one of our food tours.

Garum sauce, a roman delicacy

We can’t stress enough how the Great Lisbon region has been defined by its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, and this is a phenomena that has been going on for millennia! Back in the days of the Roman Empire, about 2000 years ago, the walls that were used to protect the town which centuries later became Lisbon, also served to keep some space between the living areas and the massive tanks by the riverside, which were used to produce garum. Garum was a concentrated fish sauce used to add umami flavor to dishes, and which resulted from the fermentation of tiny fish, scraps and loads of salt. This pungent paste was exported across all of the Roman Empire, and enjoyed as a way to take food to the next level. Even though the production of garum eventually died and, for many centuries, it was simply not available, now-a-days near Lisbon you can again taste this powerful flavor bomb, available literally at only a couple of places, which we introduce you to during our Umami and Garum Lisbon Food Tour.