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Gastronomy

The simple, traditionally rural life forced the people of this mountainous region to ingeniously seek self-sufficiency in relation to food and nourishment by living off what they had, cultivating their own lands, raising livestock and  poultry and pig farming.
Due to this poor,  pinch penny but tasty cuisine, today we can still find a variety of food based on the originality handed down to us through the ages, created by the inventiveness and persistence of the humble people of these surroundings.
This region was inhabited by the Arabs, therefore  many of the habits assimilated still continue in the present as in the case of the food, especially the dairy products, fruits, cereals and vegetables. In addition, the soups which the Arabs call Tharid are similar to our regional soups, since they are made of very thinly sliced bread soaked in beef broth, boiled with aromatic herbs, especially home grown mint.

It is presumed that this was also the origin of the “soup of greens”, Sopas do Verde in Portuguese. “Green” is still what we call the blood collected from the bloodletting of the animals at the time of their slaughter. The viscera are added to make the broth (hot liquid) seasoned with mint, to which is added the chopped bread. From the combination of these two ingredients, the Soup of Greens was born, and was until a very recent past, the main course at wedding banquets. Having the aspect of a trivial dish, poor in ingredients, why was it so  appreciated?

Precisely because it was not an everyday dish. The slaughter of cattle was necessary to provide the main ingredient. The frequent slaughter of livestock was not possible because the economic stability of the owner depended on the small herds for some earnings from the milk, the wool and the sale of animals.

Therefore, livestock was only slaughtered for a family celebration, a baptism or marriage.

One of the dishes of the wintry season is the “Couves de Azeite” (Olive Oil Cabbage), in its multiple variants. Finely chopped cabbage boiled in salted water, to which you can choose to add small chunks of potato, white beans or butter beans. Into a deep dish, you crumble the cornbread by hand and place the drained cabbage on top. Sprinkled abundantly with olive oil, it is eaten with olives, broiled codfish or some broiled or fried “petingas” (miniature sardines).

Also very popular is the chickpea dish “chícharos” accompanied by broiled codfish. (a legume very similar to the lupin in its shape, although it is wrinkled while the lupin is smooth)

Ingredients:
1 kg of lamb, garlic, pepper, olive oil, paprika, bay leaves, parsley, onion, 0.5 kg of potatoes

Method of Preparation:
After the meat has been cleaned, it is cut into pieces. Add the seasoning and let it stand overnight. Place a pot on the heat and braise the onion. Then add the meat and the seasoning in which it was marinated and stew at medium temperature.
When the meat is almost stewed, add the potatoes cut into the quarters.

Also famous are the blood sausages “morcelas de arroz”. The larger guts are chosen. The stomach of the pig which we call bucho is also used. The seasoning of the meat is the same as for the pork sausage “chouriço” ​​(the meat is cut into pieces, seasoned with paprika, salt, wine and finely chopped garlic, and is left to marinade for 2 to 3 days). Cumin and cloves are added before making the sausages. The rice is parboiled, drained and mixed with the blood, chopped onion and parsley. After filling the guts with this mixture, the sausages are immersed in boiling water, where they finish cooking.

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