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.
Origins The sweet potato originates in South America. Indigenous people of Central and South America domesticated this plant about 5000 years ago. Hence, they ate sweet potato well before their land was “discovered”. The sweet potato, called batata doce in Portuguese (Ipomoea batatas) is a plant belonging to the bindweed or morning glory family. Certainly, …
This year again and for the 17th time, the parish of Curral das Freiras organizes its ‘Mostra do Brigalhó’. Canary Lord-and-Ladies But you may ask: “what is a brigalho?” It is a plant called Canary Lord-and-Ladies (Botanical name: Arum italicum ssp. Canariensis) The brigalho is the rarest of all Arum italicum subspecies. It makes green …
Picado a Madeirense A Picado or picandinho is a traditional Madeira dish. It is found in most restaurants around the island. The picado is served on an oblong platter on a bed of fries or circled by fries. When you order a picado, you will be asked how many people will be sharing and eating …
Madeira’s Annona cherimola During our Madeira discovery we came across many different fruit varieties. However, one fruit puzzled us: the Annona. Biologist know it as under Annona Cherimola in Latin. Though its more common names are Annona, Cherimoya or Custard Apple. The Portuguese call the green fruit anona. What is a Cherimoya also called Anona …
♪♪ Hey Nikita is it cold In your little corner of the world? Oh Nikita you will never know anything about my home I’ll never know how good it feels to hold you Nikita I need you so ♪♪ Origin Rumor has it that this famous cocktail owes its name to Elton John’s hit song: …
Madeira Bananas Banana cultivation is important to Madeira from an economic as well as landscape standpoint. A banana plant belongs to the herbaceous flowering plants. It is not a tree but rather a giant herb like plant. The part one could call stem or trunk is really a succession of leaves grown together in a …
Pastéis de Nata or Portuguese Custard Tart This famous and popular Portuguese pastry originated in Belém, near Lisbonne but can be found all over Portugal and even worldwide. The Guardian’s “50 best things to eat in the world, and where to eat them” article placed the pastéis de nata in 15th position. Additionally, CNN‘s review of …
Milho Frito – Madeira Fried Cornmeal Madeira is mostly famous for its fortified wines. Even if Madeira’s cuisine is largely inspired by continental Portuguese cuisine, there are some noteworthy exceptions such as Bolo de Caco, Espetada Regional, Espada com Banana, … and Milho Frito. Milho Frito or Madeira Fried Cornmeal is a crispy fried dish, …
Recipe: Madeiran Fish Stew or Caldeirada à Madeirense Madeira, an island lost in the Atlantic, is surrounded by the Ocean. Hence, the wonders of the ocean constitute a large part of the diet of Madeira’s inhabitants. Here is a traditional Madeiran Fish Soup or Stew. Ingredients: 4 to 5kg of fish (snapper, rockfish, redfish, any …
Wines Madeira Island is famous for its fortified wines which win many prizes year after year. The island is unfortunately much less known for its table wines. So when a wine – Terra Bona Family Harvest – produced in Madeira, on top of that on the North Coast of Madeira in Boaventura wins a prize, we …
