Quick Details
This Lisbon Food Tour will guide you through the world of umami taste (savory deliciousness) & techniques of fish conservation used by the Phoenicians in Lisbon, developed in Portuguese food traditions & perfected by a Portuguese Chef.
Based on unprecedented Portuguese research, we are now able to taste these artisanal products in balanced and local fish Portuguese dishes and Portuguese cuisine.
Get ready to discover & taste muxama, garum, tuna pastrami, Atlantic wreckfish bottarga, tuna chorizo (analogous to blood pork sausage), swordfish belly bacon, smoked octopus, cuttlefish roe, and others. All from sustainable fishing on the Portuguese coastline and Portuguese Islands. All examples of umami foods, which basically will bring you the essence of deliciousness to your palate.
Through a combination of 14 different delicious tastings, a 5-course menu & a slow food experience, we travel centuries & cultures, learning about preserving techniques, immersed in stories about people, salt, sun, & sea, while being amazed by the fifth taste of umami, present in these unique & exclusive sea flavors!
For this walking food tour in Lisbon, after we meet in Alfama district, closer to the river, we visit one of the oldest stores where Romans produced Garum – a roman fish sauce with a unique flavor, equated to a golden essence. A perfect introduction to what follows.
Just a few minutes away, after crossing the old city wall, we will find our gastronomic stop where a unique & exclusive tasting itinerary starts. Food and culture, past and present became intertwined.
This gastronomic stop combines a restaurant, a shop (garum fish sauce is for sale here!), but also a sort of laboratory where food preserving methods are explored, like nowhere else in Portugal.
Beyond imagination!
We will take you on a fish (r)evolution journey!
We will meet in a square, named Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, right in front of Museu do Fado, in Alfama.
If you are arriving by public transport, take the METRO to Santa Apolónia station and then walk for approximately 5-7 minutes.
If you wish to explore the area of Alfama before it’s a good plan. You will be close to the Pantheon Church and to one of the most emblematic sightseeings in Lisbon: Miradouro de Santa Luzia on top of Alfama hill.
My advice is to start from the top hill and then, gently came down, through the narrow and labyrinthic streets of Alfama to finally meet us at the level of the river, in front Museu do Fado.
Umami is one of the core fifth tastes including sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.
Umami, which is also known as monosodium glutamate, is a broad term for the pleasant savory taste. In Japanese, this fifth taste, can be translated to “essence of deliciousness”.
You experience umami flavor when you eat or drink food containing glutamate amino acid, and ribonucleotide present in certain delicious foods we eat every day, including, but certainly not limited to, aged cheeses, cured meats, tomatoes, mushrooms, fish sauces and cured and processed fishes like the ones in this gastronomic experience.
Scientists identified umami taste receptors on the human tongue in 2002 (alongside the sweet, sour, bitter, and salty taste buds). Meaning that umami is an inherent taste universally enjoyed!
No. But I understand your point! You hear ‘salty fish’, ‘preserved fish’ and you may recall those memories of salted codfish or the Asian fish we find in the markets. Well, those have nothing to do with the taste and the experience you will provide to your taste buds during this food experience.
These products were perfected to archive a full level of umami and deliciousness. You will find a perfect balance between the saltiness, the taste, the texture, and the fish freshness, which is unique in this type of method developed by our Chef. Believe me, you must try this! You will be amazed.
Of course, we will! At all our Lisbon food tours, you’ll have different types of non-alcoholic drinks to choose.
Sure! This is a food tour with only two stops and a short distance in between them (approx. 500 meters). We never go uphill. It’s also suitable for wheelchairs.
Sure! Why not join our virtual online experience before you come to Lisbon. We’ll save you time in planning for your trip and answer your questions and offer suggestions. Plus, if you do join you’ll automatically get a code offering you 10% OFF any of our in person food experiences (Lisbon Sailing Tours and Walking Tours.) And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also receive a free Ebook Guide of Alfama, with several restaurant addresses and hidden gems to discover on your own.
For more frequently asked questions about weather, alcohol, and dietary restrictions, please visit our FAQ page here.
