Culinary Regions of Portugal= Planicies/Plains

Slip into your favorite dream of knights and mysterious castles, of fine thoroughbred horses and powerful bulls grazing freely on open plains. Then you would be dreaming of the Planicies or Plains of Portugal. You would walk through the hallways of medieval castles, discover the birth of Roman and Arab influences and fill your mind and body with the breath, the smell and the fragrance of olive trees, oak trees, hand made tapestries, dams, the banks of the Tagus River and beautiful Atlantic beaches. Here you can experience temperatures that go down to 5 C or up to 33C. Discover the towns of Portalegre, Evora, Castelo de Vide, Beja, Serpa and Santarem to name only a few. And as you drift through ancient Roman towns such as Beja, Fortress towns such as Elvas, villages that seem lost in the 15th century, fill your eyes with incredible architecture and rich history. All this exploration can give one a healthy appetite and The Plains Region is as rich in gastronomic pleasures as they are in historical brilliance. If you feel experimental and aren't afraid of the exotic, you can dine on stewed eels, shad shoup or Tagus lamprey. For those with more conservative palates, there are sausages from Castelo de Vide or stews made from goat, hare or rabbit; with side dishes of red beans and Alentejo olive oil. For a snack you can fill your taste buds with rich goat cheese and freshly baked regional bread. And to top it off. Try the cakes and pastries such as "Celestes", "Palha" and "Imperial" cakes from Almeirim. In Evora enjoy pastries of baked eggs and almond paste or if all you want is fruit, you must try the melons from Alpiarca. To wash it all down, nothing better than Cartaxo wines. We'll take our time, because there is so much to see, and when we're done we will make our way to the Estremadura Region and Lisbon, but then we have two whole weeks before we have to leave The Plains where the stuff of dreams are made.

Go To Page: 1

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic