After almost two weeks in Portugal, I’m convinced that the Portuguese version of Cucina Povera is at least as good as the Italian one. Make no mistake, I love Italian cuisine. But the same things that make Italian cuisine one of the tops in the world work for Portugal, too. There are great local ingredients, flavorful meats, especially the pork and chicken, and a pride in cooking well.
What makes Italian cuisine so popular and Portugal’s so…unknown? Is it the fact that there are thousands of Italian restaurants in the US and just a handful of Portuguese ones? Or that when people think of “Portuguese bread” they’re thinking of that sweet, squishy stuff you can sometimes get in a supermarket?
The Portuguese treatment of wild boar is quite a bit more respectful of the flavors than the Tuscan version; a little white wine and maybe a light hand with a few herbs are all that appears in the recipes I’ve experienced. It’s not about covering the flavor, but by respecting it as it is.
To find out more about Portuguese food, here are some Portuguese Food Blogs to Follow