The ABC’s of Porto will get familiarized with local culture!
If you’re planning on visiting Porto, you surely heard about the famous Francesinha! Known as Porto’s most typical dish, this sandwich is worth a meal and everybody loves it. But be careful: never ask for a group of locals where you can have the best Francesinha in town! You’ll for sure start a big argument among friends! Everyone has its own opinion on what makes a great Francesinha so a favorite place to eat it is a very particular choice.
The ingredients of a Francesinha are quite simple: bread, cheese, lots of meat and sauce. What makes a really good one is the quality of these ingredients and, most importantly, the sauce recipe – the basis is always tomato sauce and beer, but it can also have meats and different alcoholic beverages, like port wine, whiskey, etc. Each restaurant have their own version of it so our advice is to try Francesinhas in different places before choosing your favorite :)
Legend says that the Francesinha was invented in the 60’s by a Portuguese immigrant returned from France, when he tried to make his own version of the famous French sandwich “croque-monsieur” but adding sauce and more meat to it. That would be the origin of the name of this dish – Francesinha means “little French”.
To have a Francesinha like a local, you must order it with a “fino” – a cold draft beer. Even better if you have it while watching a Porto soccer match ;)
Don´t forget to chek more posts of The ABC’s of Porto! And to discover more about Portuguese culinary and cooking traditions, book a Porto Food Tour with us! Besides tasting the most typical food we will tell you the history behind the dishes! It’s the best way of getting to know Porto and its culture :)
