Typical Dishes of Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo has typical sweets from the region that delight everyone who visits the Minho city.
But it’s not just the Viennese sweets that are successful.
There are typical dishes from Viana do Castelo that also put the taste buds in ecstasy.
Are they:
- Viana-style codfish
- Gil Eanes-style codfish
- Rojões à Minhota
- Spider Crab in the Tio Plácido style
- Malandrinho octopus rice
- Viana hake
Keep reading and get to know each one of them.
Viana-style Codfish
Cod is one of the most famous dishes in Portugal.
The Portuguese prepare cod in various ways. With cream, without cream, boiled, roasted.
But why has this fish become so popular in Portuguese cuisine?
Everything goes back to past centuries.
As cod has a very long shelf life and is easy to transport, Portuguese navigators took cod for their meals on their sea voyages.
Since then, cod has always been very present in Portuguese cuisine.
And one of the cities where it is most popular is precisely in Viana do Castelo. And there is also a strong reason for this specific success in Viana.
In this city, the headquarters of important English companies that were importers of cod were located.
These companies distributed the best codfish to the Viana do Castelo market and sent codfish of inferior quality to other Portuguese markets.
So, as the people of Viana had access to the best cod available on the market, they always had a special taste for this meal.
So much so that they created their own recipes.
One of them is the Viana-style codfish.
This recipe is made with desalted sirloin cod fillets, wrapped in Savoy cabbage leaves.
On top of the cod fillet, an onion stew with onion, olive oil, garlic, parsley, pepper and bay leaf is placed.
For the accompaniment, people from Viana prepare cornbread or potatoes in boiled slices.
A delicious recipe for cod fans.
If that’s your case, you really have to try the Viana-style codfish.
According to TripAdvisor, the three best restaurants in Viana do Castelo to make this dish are Tasquinha da Linda, Restaurante Camelo and Casa de Pasto Maria de Perre.
Visit them during your visit to Viana do Castelo and don’t end your vacation without tasting this typical dish of the region.
Gil Eanes-style codfish
As already mentioned, there are two cod recipes typical of Viana do Castelo.
In addition to Viana-style codfish, there is also Gil Eanes-style codfish.
The recipe is prepared in the oven and includes shredded cod, olive oil, butter, cream, onion, mayonnaise and grated cheese.
Accompanying the main course, potatoes in the oven are the preference of the citizens of Viana for this recipe.
An interesting curiosity about this dish is that its name was a way for the people of Viana to pay homage to Gil Eanes, the Portuguese navigator who rounded Cape Bojador in 1434.
This feat was very important for the Portuguese Discoveries and for the wealth of the city of Viana.
A tribute translated into a delicious recipe that you really have to try during your holidays in Viana do Castelo.
Rojões à Minhota
Despite not being specifically typical of Viana do Castelo, Rojões à Minhota are, as the name implies, a typical dish of the Minho region.
And for its fantastic flavor, it is a recipe that deserves to be on this list.
They are prepared with pieces of pork marinated overnight in green wine, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaf and paprika.
It also takes boiled pig’s blood and lard to brown the meat.
Everything is mixed and left to stew over low heat.
To add to the main course, floured and fried tripe is prepared separately, as well as pieces of pork liver, potatoes and browned chestnuts.
The final touch that makes this recipe even more delicious are the accompaniments, which can either be rice, porridge with rice, crackers or white rice.
The Rojões à Minhota are one of the favorite dishes of the Portuguese and to come to Minho and not try it is to miss out on one of the best dishes in national cuisine.
Spider Crab in the Tio Plácido style
We return to the dishes that are specifically typical of Viana do Castelo.
Next to be presented is Spider Crab in the Tio Plácido style.
It is generally used as a starter, before the main meal and its preparation is very similar to stuffed Spider crab.
Basically, the core of spider crab is placed in a pan, together with the core of bread, onion, chopped egg, chilli and mustard.
Then it goes to the fire and at the end a little beer is added.
Finally, the crab hull is stuffed again with all this mixture and the rest of the bread is used to taste the sauce that results from this combination.
It’s an explosion of flavors on the taste buds that you’ll only have the opportunity to taste in Viana do Castelo.
Malandrinho octopus rice
As you already had the opportunity to see in this article, Viana do Castelo offers fantastic typical cuisine for those who love fish and seafood.
For this very reason, a typical dish made with octopus could not be missing.
In this case, we are talking about Malandrinho octopus rice, a typical recipe from the city of Viana.
In this dish, the octopus is cooked without water and over low heat for about an hour.
A stew is also prepared with olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato and bay leaves.
The rice, on the other hand, is prepared with wine, salt, pepper, chopped coriander and with the water released by the octopus.
Once cooked, the octopus is cut into small pieces and mixed with the rice and the stew.
In the end, the result is a very tasty dish, a must-try for all seafood lovers and anyone visiting Viana do Castelo.
Viana hake
The last typical dish from Viana do Castelo that we have to present to you is hake in the city’s style.
In this dish, whole hake loins seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil are used.
The dish is accompanied by sliced potatoes with skin, onion and garlic.
Everything is placed together in a baking dish, sprinkled with flour and with a layer of mayonnaise.
After everything has been mixed, this dish from Viennese goes to the oven to brown and refine the flavor.
Finally, after the flavor is perfect, it’s time to enjoy this magnificent recipe, so typical of Viana do Castelo.
It is, without a doubt, another dish that you have to add to your list of foods to try during your holidays in the Minho city.
And after having lunch or dinner one of these typical dishes from Viana do Castelo, you can always take a walk and visit some of the main sights of the city or do the architecture tour. It is a great help for digestion.
Book your stay and come and taste and visit the best that Viana has to offer.
