| Like all the southerners, Portuguese people are | | | | costs. |
| gourmands. And they can cook well. Mind that | | | | Portuguese cuisine is a kind of the country's |
| they pay attention not only to the dishes, but also | | | | attraction. For local people dinner is a ritual which |
| to the place and the time of their meals. And, of | | | | deserves special attention. Most citizens have |
| course, the company. | | | | dinner at one and the same time - from 12.30 to |
| Portuguese cuisine differs from any European | | | | 13.30. It is the time when finding free tables in |
| cuisine, including Spanish one. For instance, Spanish | | | | restaurants is next to impossible: not only |
| and French restaurants offer a variety of snacks | | | | workers but also families and small companies |
| and salads whereas the Portuguese prefer to | | | | come here. There is a feeling that the whole |
| start their meals with the first course. To be | | | | country has meals at this time. After 2 pm there |
| exact, there are only two real salads in Portugal - | | | | is not a single soul in local restaurants - everyone |
| vegetable and "green" (prepared of tomatoes, | | | | is busy with their work. By the way, there is no |
| cucumbers, lettuce, onion and carrot, all with olive | | | | siesta here. |
| oil), sometimes spices are added. | | | | Another typical national ritual is fado, or, how its |
| The main dish for the Portuguese dinner is meat. | | | | often called, Portuguese blues. Of course, you can |
| Delicate veal, lamb saddle, and mouth-watering | | | | listen to this music on a tape or a CD, but the |
| pork served with fried potatoes and boiled rice. | | | | show is much more interesting. It also helps |
| Add olive oil or vinegar. One portion is usually | | | | penetrate into national character. |
| enough for three. To taste delicious lamb, go to | | | | One of the best restaurants where you can see |
| Cafe de Paris - the oldest restaurant in Sintra. | | | | fado performance is Clube de Fado situated in the |
| Traditional Portuguese meat is also served in all | | | | old Moorish district Alfama not far from Lisbon |
| the Lisbon restaurants. | | | | Cathedral. There is still an inner stone draw-well |
| What about wines? In addition to world known | | | | found in this building. There is a legend that if you |
| port wine and Madeira there is excellent dry wine | | | | whisper your wish standing above the well and |
| produced here. Rough and flavoured red wine | | | | throw a coin inside, your wish will come true. |
| produced in Alentejo is no worse than Spanish | | | | However, this is not what tourists and citizens |
| Rioja or French Bordeaux. | | | | come here for. First visitors come here at |
| Portuguese also love fish, cod is their favourite. | | | | approximately 9 pm. They order their supper |
| According to statistics each Portuguese citizen | | | | consisting of several courses. White port wine |
| eats 16 kilos of cod per annum. Note that all the | | | | goes as an aperitif - its drier and not as sweet as |
| cod is imported to Portugal from other countries. | | | | the common one. You can also try famous cod at |
| Its prepared this way: dried cod is soaked in | | | | this restaurant. The show starts one hour later. |
| water with great amount of salt for 24 hours. | | | | Several musicians and a singer step out into a |
| Then its crumbed and fried with olive oil. In | | | | small platform. Musicians use double-bass, acoustic |
| Portuguese capital, Lisbon, it is served with boiled | | | | and a Portuguese guitar that looks like mandoline. |
| potatoes and corn bread. | | | | The owner of this restaurant, musician and |
| To taste sword-fish, go to Madeira. They even | | | | composer Mario Pacheco says playing it is difficult. |
| organize a special excursion which is finished with | | | | Probably that is the reason why everyone gets |
| dinner at the Cachalote restaurant, Porto Moniz | | | | silent when musicians start their performance. |
| cape. The restaurant is located on the very edge | | | | Lights fade, visitors stop eating and work stops |
| of the cape and from its windows you can | | | | at the kitchen too. Fado is performed by men and |
| observe waves breaking into black rocks. There is | | | | women with fantastically strong and moving |
| nothing special about its interior, but the food is | | | | voices. They sing about love, about being |
| delicious. Traditional Portuguese salad, vegetable | | | | homesick. Having sung 4 or 5 songs, musicians go |
| potage, and of course sword-fish. The fish is | | | | away, lights are switched on and meals continue |
| served with white sauce, boiled potatoes or rice. | | | | till the next course. Then again fado starts. The |
| By the way, dinner is usually included in excursion | | | | performance lasts till 1 am. |