What is Madeira Cuisine?

Madeira Cuisine

Many of our memories are associated with foods, tastes, smells of cooking.  So many places and people can be brought back to life using a good recipe.  It is astonishing how much of our past or of our culture is secretly defined by food.  Hence, food is as much of about heritage as it is about taste.  Thus food should be a pleasure and on Madeira it will be!  In other words, Madeira Cuisine is genuine, down to earth and honest!

Regional Cuisine

You will find it difficult to have a bad meal if you stick to “regional” cuisine.  By regional, we mean typically Madeiran cuisine.  Some even call Madeira a genuine gourmet paradise for locals and tourists alike.  This is particularly true if you are fond of fish, sea food and exotic fruits.

Fabulous Fruits and Warning

When you will discover the island outside of Funchal, you will see the many fruits growing in people’s backyards.  If you stay mostly in Funchal during your Madeira stay, you can see them all in Mercado das Lavradores.  !!Warning!! In short, this place is a tourist trap.  So, walk around to take a few pictures but we recommend you do not purchase anything there.  The prices are outrageous, and the quality is not present.  We suggest you purchase fruits from the many small stalls disseminated around Funchal or the local supermarket.

What will you find on the menu?

Interestingly, Madeira is famous for its soups.  We have already shared a few soup recipes with you.  So why not try a soup after a nice walk for example. Fish and sea food dishes are also a safe bet.  You will have many choices from a simply grilled snapper fish to sword fish (espada) covered with banana or exotic fruit.  Madeira beef is used in one of the island’s most famous dishes, namely espetada.  However, beef dishes are much less expensive here so be careful as it can fabulous or extremely chewy in texture.  Always verify that the piece of beef is either sirloin (lombo) or fillet (filete). Pork, chicken, and lamb are also present on the menus.

Index of Recipes

Drinks

• Rum from Madeira
• Madeira Wine
• Table Wines from Madeira
• Madeira Alcoholic Drinks
• Nikita – Madeira’s Icy but exotic Cocktail
• Coral: Beer Made in Madeira
• Poncha

Soups

• Cabbage Soup – Sopa de Couve Madeirense
• Traditional Hen Soup
• Madeira Tomato Soup

Fish

• Octopus Salad – Salada de Polvo
• Seafood Cataplana
• Madeira Tuna Steak – Bife de Atum à Madeirense
• Fish Stew – Caldeirada à Madeirense
• Limpets – Lapas
• Scabbardfish (sword fish) with banana – Espada com Banana

Meat

• Madeira Marinated Pork – Porco Vinha d’Alhos
• Picado à Madeirense
• Typical Beef Skewer – Espetada Regional

Carbs and Vegetables

• Fried Cornmeal – Milho Frito
• Bolo de Caco

Deserts

• Carnival Fritters – Sonhos
• Madeira’s Bolo de Mel
• Fennel Candy – Rebuçados de Funcho
• Frozen Bananas
• Cottage Cheese Pastry – Queijadas
• Pitanga Mousse
• Banana Cake – Bolo de Banana
• Portuguese Custard Tart – Pastéis de Nata
• Honey Cookies – Broas de Mel
• Passion Fruit Pudding – Pudim de Maracuja

Fruits and others

• Banana
• Annona Cherimola
• Pitanga
• Sugar Cane
• Passion Fruit – Maracuja
• Sweet Potato
• Lupini Beans – Tremoços

Do try these recipes out.  If you are on Madeira in a self-catering option, why not try to reproduce these succulent dishes while on vacation.  Eat them on the terrasse overlooking the ocean…