Each day, thousands of pastéis de nata are baked and sold in Lisbon. Locals eat their pastry with a coffee in the morning. Tourists queue for hours to buy boxes at shops like Antiga Confeitaria de Belém.
But Portugal’s most iconic pastry is the size of a pea in a country with a vast tradition of sweets. Each one is different in volume, sweetness, and color. There are palm or king-sized; sweet or mellow; yellow, brown or white.
You find these pastries at pastelarias, neighborhood cafés with glassed counters, where you pick your favorite: pastel de nata (egg custard), queque (muffin), bola de Berlim (Portuguese doughnuts), xadrez (checkerboard cake), pão de Deus (brioche with coconut on top), mil-folhas (millefeuille).
Read MoreOn the steep banks of the Douro, Porto is Portugal’s northern jewel. Its walkable center is crammed with cobbled streets and balconies adorned with flowerpots and stunning 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Meanwhile, the city’s contemporary character is evident in its thriving modern arts scene, buzzing restaurants and bars.
Following this Porto itinerary, you’ll find out what to do in Porto in two days to make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights and feel like you’ve earned that port wine at the end of the day.
Read MoreIn 1982, Maria de Lourdes Modesto said the following of the pastel de nata in her essential cookbook Traditional Portuguese Cooking: “These pastries are probably the most important Portuguese speciality ever sold.” Almost four decades later, they remain the ultimate symbol of Portuguese cuisine.
Read MoreWine is subjective. The personal reactions that a great bottle provokes, often instinctive and emotional as much as educated and considered, is a big part of what makes it such a fascinating subject. It’s also a big part of what makes it so frustrating, particularly for someone who’s just getting into it. Because if everyone is entitled to an opinion, how are you supposed to know what’s good?
Well, to corrupt a line from George Orwell: All opinions are equal, but some are more equal than others. In other words, if you really want to know what’s good, you talk to someone like Aldo Sohm.
Read MoreArroz de Marisco is a seafood classic from the Portuguese Cuisine. Despite its creation being associated to a beach in Central Portugal – Praia de Vieira de Leiria, it is widely available in many restaurants across coastal Portugal. It usually comprises of a variety of shellfish, peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and short-grain rice making an indulgent and delicious dish. Not convinced? This dish is so good that it was actually selected in back in 2011 as one of the seven wonders of Portuguese gastronomy.
Read MorePortugal is one of the most wonderfully vibrant and friendly places in the world to visit – and its capital is no exception. Architecturally stunning, with ancient labyrinthine streets and grand town squares, it’s rippling with culture, history, and hospitality.
To have a good time in Lisbon, you have to go with the flow. If you hear music wafting from a street nearby or see a cute house you want to take a photo of then just follow your instinct. So whether you’re looking for the foodies’ paradise or just hoping to soak up the spirit of the place this is how to see the best of the city, even if you’ve only a weekend to spare.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered how the pros fuel for a time trial? Is it the same as a road ride, or a triathlon? Maybe you’re looking to improve your own training with some TT efforts, or perhaps you’re building up to a triathlon. In the past we’ve covered efficient fueling for cycling, but we wanted to do a bit of a deep dive into a slightly different style of competition, and so we reached out to the scientists at Equipe Enervit for some advice.
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