Eat Smart in Portugal: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure

Portuguese country-style home cooking and Michelin-rated restaurants receive equal treatment in this newest addition to the Eat Smart series of culinary travel guidebooks. A huge variety of seafood, rice, and spices from around the world acknowledge Portugal's history as a seafaring nation. Hundreds of different breads and cakes also underscore local traditions. Eat Smart in Portugal connects menus and markets to geography, history, and regional pride.

Authentic Portuguese dining ranges from the famed bacalhau―salt cod that locals cook in 365 different ways―to Lisbon chef José Avillez's mergulho do mar (a dip in the sea), poached sea bass with bivalves and marine plants. Other culinary stars are smoky grilled sardines; flavorful chouriço sausage in the prized soup caldo verde; custard tarts called pastéis de nata; port wines from the Douro river valley; and queijo da Serra, a creamy ewe's-milk cheese from the high plateaus of the Serra da Estrela.

This easy-to-use guidebook includes practical and fun features:

dozens of delicious recipes from chefs and other food experts that allow travelers and cookbook lovers to recreate Portuguese specialties at home

a Menu Guide that demystifies food selection, allowing visitors to order with confidence

a Food and Flavors Guide that provides a comprehensive list of foods, spices, and more to assist shoppers at colorful markets

an explanation of culinary history that covers the origins and varieties of ingredients, regional recipes, and well-known Portuguese favorites

a translation of useful phrases that eases the challenge of shopping for food or placing an order in restaurants

glossaries that introduce food and cooking terms in Portuguese and English.

Ronnie Hess is the author of Eat Smart in France and an award-winning journalist with a passionate interest in cuisine. When she isn't traveling, she lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Joan Peterson, creator of the award-winning Eat Smart series, has written or co-written Eat Smart guides to the cuisines of Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Morocco, India, Peru, Sicily, Portugal, and Portugal. Joan also leads culinary tours to Europe, Asia, and Africa.