Portugal, Lisbon Guide (B): The Foodie's Guide to Lisbon

I genuinely love food. I mean, who doesn’t? I’m an eater and I’m not afraid to admit it. I especially love the way that food tells a story about an area, a people and a culture. One of my favorite parts of exploring new places is immersing myself in the local foods.

I was lucky enough to have a long list of things to try when visiting Lisbon, a long list that I was determined to conquer.

My friends, teachers and fellow bloggers seemed so enthusiastic about Portuguese food that it only made me more excited. I was extremely surprised by the value of the food; the portions were extremely generous in comparison with the prices. I may have left the city feeling a few pounds heavier, but I left feeling satisfied knowing that I had successfully tried everything on my list. Plus, Lisbon is a very hilly city, and I’d like to think that all the uphill walking canceled out some of the calories.

“Bistec a la portuguesa” is a dish consisting of thin juicy beef steak topped with a layer of Spanish style ham or “jamon serrano.” It is drizzled in a light wine-based gravy and usually paired with potatoes or salad. Recipes vary from region to region and sometimes instead of ham your steak will be topped with a fried egg. I don’t usually order steak when eating out, mostly for reasons of budget, but top a steak with my favorite Spanish ham and there’s no keeping me away. Also, the prices in Portugal continued to amaze me, even for a generous steak dish. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).