Algarve food and drink – the Algarve coast
Algarve food and drink varies, as one might expect, from region to region, and there are three distinct culinary regions in the Algarve: there’s the coastal region, the plains of the “Barrocal” region and the hills.
Each region’s particular activities, such as fishing, livestock breeding and agriculture are quite possibly the most direct influence on what the local inhabitants eat and drink, and as such have allowed for the development of specific gastronomic tastes.
The Algarve Coast
The main dishes on the coast are obviously based on fish and seafood in general. Tuna, sardines and shellfish are the most popular fish, but clams and cockles are also equally popular. Fishermen inhabit this region which means that every morning you can find fish and seafood, some excellent cooks also inhabit the region and this makes for some extremely tasty dishes from these ingredients.
One of the most traditional and well appreciated dishes in the region is ameijoas na Cataplana, the secret lies in the cooking process, because the clams are cooked in a special copper pan of Arab origin.
Some of the best ways of enjoying these foods are just slowly grilled over hot charcoal, silver sardines, sea-bream or red mullet, all are absolutely wonderful, there are the soups made of fish, skate or shrimps, and rice cooked and served with conger, razor clams or of course, octopus. For those who really love squid you can have it cooked in its ink, or cuttlefish fried in its ink, there are a plethora of options, we’re only mentioning a couple here.
So for the seafood enthusiasts out there, who want to experience some very traditional cooking, the coast of the Algarve is definitely the place to be.
Furthermore, with the help of our Algarve car hire services, you can drive around the coast and see what every place has to offer, you’ll notice variations from town to town.
