Here you will find the posts that relate to traditional dishes and drinks of Madeira. You’ll find one or the other recipe also. You can try them out while staying on Madeira or back home. Madeira’s cuisine is very much like Portuguese cuisine with a twist. The dishes are generally simple, but rich in flavor. There is no room for snobism in Madeiran cuisine. You just get the best out of the fresh ingredients. There’s no excessive processing.
As for drinks, Madeira has its own distinct culture, which you can discover through these blogs. Madeira wine (not to be confused with Port) is unique due to its processing. It enjoys a reputation all over the world for its qualities. But Madeirans have a wealth of other things to offer. Local white and red wines, drinks and cocktails with locally produced sugarcane alcohol. One of the blogs tells you all about the famous Poncha drink.
Tremoços or Lupini Beans The yellow waxy shiny beans served in most bars or cafes on Madeira are called Tremoços or Lupini Beans. Tremoços are a super nutritious, healthy and addictive salty snack which is thought to have originated in Egypt before reaching Italy and then spreading around the Mediterranean Sea. The lupini bean is …
Holiday Season The end of the year is nearing! Christmas is a special season everywhere but more so in Madeira. With it the kitchen and homes on the island fill with festive smells of all the delicacies relating to the holiday season. Porco Vinha d’Alhos, Bolo de Mel and Broas de Mel belong to those. …
Uma cerveja se faz favor – A beer please! Madeira, an island lost in the Atlantic Ocean is world famous for its fortified wines, its mild sub-tropical climate, and its lush vegetation. However, according to many, locals and tourists alike, there is nothing better than a good cold beer to cool off and admire the …
Limpets anyone? Uma dose de lapas? Madeira is an island and the ocean is its pantry. Therefore, nearly all menus on Madeira serve fish and / or seafood. Cod or bacalhau and tasty sardines are famous in Portugal. Madeira in particular is renowned for its scabbard fish or espada. It is maybe a little less …
Gluten Free on Madeira A gluten allergy or intolerance is, unfortunately, a fairly common problem. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. If a person suffers from a gluten intolerance, this protein can cause digestive problems such as gassiness, abdominal pains and cramps or diarrhea. Celiac disease is the most severe form …
Vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants on Madeira With a lot of traditional fish– and meat-based dishes in most restaurants, it can feel quite challenging to find vegetarian food on the island of Madeira. If you want to avoid having to eat the main dish sides during your stay, then you’re on the right page. Here’s …
Recipe: Bolo de Caco The Bolo de Caco is a must try for all visitors to Madeira Island or Porto Santo. It is vegetarian circular muffins-like bread and can hence be appreciated by nearly everyone. They are made with a mixture of sweet potato and wheat and are cooked on a basalt stone slab over …
Passion fruit or Maracuja is one of the most popular fruits on Madeira next to Bananas. Passion fruit is famous for its exceptional flavor and for its many uses. It can be sliced open, spooned out and eaten fresh or used in Poncha for example. It is also present in the Brisa Maracuja, a fresh …
Madeira Table Wines The Archipelago of Madeira is well known and famous for its Madeira Wine. Madeira wine is a fortified wine and you can read our posts about its history, its fame and about the various types. However, this post talks about “regular” table wines from Madeira Island. The regular, non-fortified wines are much …
Coffee is the heartbeat of the community Coffee is akin to religion (no offense) to many Portuguese. The Portuguese are partially responsible for the universal success of coffee, when Sr de Mello Palheta was sent from Brazil to French Guiana to fetch a coffee plant in 1727. In the following years, the Portuguese established the …
The Espetada Regional or Espetada Madeirense is a traditional dish on the island. Some even claim that it is the most typical dish of Madeira! Many decades ago, people waited for a special event, a festivity or an arraial (pilgrimage) to eat espetada. They gathered in groups and ate espetada with friends around a big …
