DISCOVER OR REDISCOVER PORTUGAL

Portugal is a Southern European country located to the West of the Iberian Peninsula. The country, a member of the European Union, spreads over 92 358km². It has a population of around 10 200 000 people and the national language is Portuguese.

Created in the 12^thcentury, the kingdom of Portugal became one of the most important European countries with a major role in the great discoveries of the 15^thand 16^thcenturies.

The beginning of the 20^thcentury was marked by the end of the Portuguese monarchy (1910) followed by the start of the Salazar authoritarian regime in 1926 which ended in 1974 due to the “Carnation” revolution which established democracy in the country.

Since then, the country has experienced an important economic development with a wealthy economy at the end of the 20^thcentury. Despite that improvement, it went through a period of recession from 2011 with a political, social and economic crisis.

The new government sets up has not followed the austerity policy recommended by Brussels (head-quarters of Union European Institutions) and implemented over the previous years. Unemployment has decreased a lot along with the deficit; the minimum wage has increased and some socio-economic policies have been launched, especially: more purchasing power, increase of retirement pensions and family allowances, reinforcement of the labour law, and the lowering of taxes for the more modest workers. These important policies have contributed to the growth of the Portuguese GDP which increases by more than 2% per year, placing Portugal among the countries in the Euro zone with the largest annual growth.

It is impossible to resume the Portuguese and their culture in just a few words but we are going to try to define the important features.

The Portuguese are reputed as brave and courageous, especially at the time of the great discoveries between the 15^thand 16^thcenturies during all the explorations across the oceans. Their knowledge of the sea allowed them (and other European countries) to create a bridge between the old continent and the other “worlds” such as Africa, Asia and America.

The rich Portuguese history has influenced the Portuguese who are warm, hard-working and welcoming people. Family is an essential principle for the majority of Portuguese who love spending time and celebrating together. During these occasions, hearty traditional meals prepared by the elders are often shared in a warm environment: the Portuguese are a Latin people, they are expressive and speak loudly 😀

Religion plays an important role in the life of the Portuguese: 95% of them are Catholics. This strong religious interest is present in their daily life from urban architecture to social life with religious festivals celebrated in many towns and villages.

The Portuguese enjoy life and love sharing. Their generosity is felt through their hearty meals. The dishes are cooked with sea food and fish.

They also cook meals with meat, sometimes mixed with ocean food, such as the famous “Carne de Porco a alentejana” made with pork meat, clams and fried potatoes.

Portugal is also a wine country essentially known for its Porto wine. Cheese and cold meats also have pride of place in the popular and traditional gastronomy as well as pastries, such as the well-known “Pastel de Nata”, a kind of custard pastry that is typically Portuguese.

The Portuguese economy, with its large fabric of small and medium-sized companies, has an influence on this way of cooking with products of quality made by passionate farmers and craftsmen at very affordable prices.