EXPERIENCE THE TASTE OF PORTUGAL

Join us on a tour with a mandatory stop where “Smells like Lisbon” and where the famous sardine on bread is tasted to the taste of Portuguese popular music.
Dress accordingly, bring some basil, and indulge in a Lisbon full of charms at

these Popular Festivities!

SARDINHA

Sardine

This is a classic grilled sardines dish that is a traditional food from Portugal. This dish is a popular festival favorite and includes hundreds of salt-seasoned sardines cooked on an open grill during celebrations

BIFANA

Pork Sandwich

Bifana are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika and served on soft rolls with plenty of mustard and piri-piri sauce.

CHOURICO

Portuguese Sausage

It is a must do! Chouriço is perhaps the most popular Portuguese sausage. Made with pork meat and flavored with paprika (and sometimes red wine). Called "Chouriço Assado", the sausage is cooked on top of a clay dish that has been pour with alcohol and then lit. Watching the clay dish with the grilled chouriço in the fire can be nearly as entertaining.

CALDO VERDE

Kale Soup

Caldo verde is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine. The basic traditional ingredients for caldo verde are finely shredded Portuguese cabbage or couve-galega, potatoes, olive oil, black pepper and salt, mainly flavoured with onion and garlic

FRANGO CHURRASCO

Piri-Piri Chicken

It’s typically a whole roasted chicken or chicken pieces that are marinated in a spicy chili paste/sauce and then grilled or charred (over coal) until golden brown and delicious. The chicken has a nice kick to it and is packed with so much flavor. Peri Peri Chicken is well known all over Portugal and one of their signature dishes. It’s a dish that sheds a light on how influential African cuisine has had on Portuga

PASTEL DE NATA

Portuguese Custard Tart

Nothing can quite beat the Pastel de Nata. Crispy pastry forms a case for the soft, sweet, custardy filling, with often a hint of cinnamon coming through. Each region and each baker will have a slightly different twist on the recipe, but for the most part you can expect a mouthful of flaky pastry, complimented with a hit of custardy, sugary deliciousness.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT SANTOS POPULARES

It’s not easy to find answers as to when and how the globe basil, which belongs to the basil family, became a symbol of the Santos Populares. What is certain is that the aromatic plant, known as the “lovers’ herb”, symbolises love and offering it can be a symbol of ephemeral love, given that it is a plant with a short life cycle.
Every year, each neighbourhood in the city prepares a march for the annual “Marchas Populares” parade, which takes place on the evening of the 12th of June on Avenida da Liberdade. Throughout the year, a team from each neighbourhood engages in preparing a set of original pieces (music and lyrics; choreography and costumes) to be presented to the public. The party, broadcast live on television, is truly contagious. Each neighbourhood chooses a godfather and godmother for their parade – usually public figures, to make their work more visible. The winners, chosen by the jury, are announced at the end of the night.
St. Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon, is also considered the “matchmaker saint”, so stories abound about people who found love thanks to his help. For example, according to a 17th century Portuguese tradition, a woman desperate to find a husband threw her statue of St. Anthony out of the window, hitting a soldier who was passing by in the street at the time. The story goes that, after being rescued by the woman herself, the soldier fell in love with her and they ended up getting married.