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The Top Cheeses of Portugal

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Friday, December 16, 2016, In : food and drink

Every country has its own special cheeses and so does Portugal. They taste very different from the Dutch Gouda or the British Cheddar, but once you have tried some, you will soon find one that fits your taste.

When you go shopping for cheese in Portugal there are a few words you should know:

- Fresco means fresh, young

- curado means cured, aged

- velho means old, aged for at least 90 days

- leite means milk

- cabra means goat

- ovelha means sheep

- vaca means cow

- amanteigado means creamy, buttery....

The best souvenirs to buy in the Algarve

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, In : holiday tips

It is always nice to bring home something to remind you of a place you have visited. If you have spent some time in the Algarve, then I am sure you had enough opportunities to make some unforgettable memories. Here you will find a list of some of the best genuine souvenirs you can buy here.

1. An "Assador de Barro" - This is a typical clay dish, used to BBQ sausage like the famous Portuguese chouriço right at the table. You just pour some alcohol or a typical agua...
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Saint Martin - Chestnuts And New Wine

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Sunday, November 8, 2015, In : way of life

Saint Martin, the very popular Saint who became Bishop of Tours in France in the year 371, was buried on the 11th of November 397. According to the most widespread variation of the legend, Saint Martin cut off half of his cloak in order to offer it to a freezing beggar. As he faced a long ride in a freezing weather, the dark clouds cleared away and the sun shone so intensely that the frost melted away. Such weather was rare for early November, so was credited to God's i...

Flor De Sal - The Best Salt Of The Algarve

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, In : food and drink

Salt. What could be simpler than that. We have been using salt for thousands of years to spice up our food and to preserve food as well. But there actually are quite a lot of differences. The salt harvested from sea water in the Algarve if a very high quality sea salt, but the top of the line is definitely the Flor de Sal - the flower of salt.

What is Flor de Sal?

Through evaporation by sun and wind, a thin glistening layer of flaky salt crystals will start to float on ...

Wines Of Portugal

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Monday, June 22, 2015, In : food and drink

Speaking about wine, most people do not make a direct link to Portugal. The wines from this country are relatively unknown in the world, but nevertheless Portugal is the 7th largest producer of wine in the world!

Besides the white, red and rosé wines, we have a few extras here: There is port wine (a wine fortified by adding Brandy), there is Madeira (fortified wine from the island of Madeira), we have Moscatel (a liquerous wine from the Setúbal Peninsula) and then ther...

Some Like It Hot ! Piri Piri, The African Devil

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Thursday, September 18, 2014, In : food and drink

Thanks to Columbus you can now enjoy the famous chicken piri piri here in the Algarve. He was the one that brought this fiery pepper from South America to Europe and the Portuguese then took it with them to Mozambique and Angola, where it became an important fruit to the natives as well as Portuguese.

Piri Piri is Swahili for "pepper pepper", but this cultivar of Capsicum frutescens is also know as peri peri, African birdseye Chili, or African Devil. It is a rela...

Medronho, Much More Than A Drink

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Tuesday, September 9, 2014, In : food and drink

These are some Medronho berries. They grow on the Strawberry Tree - Arbutus Unedo - and are mainly used to create the famous Algarvean Aguardente de Mendronho.

The berries have an acquired taste. Maybe that is why it has "Unedo" in its Latin name, which means: eat only 1. The fruit and the pretty little flowers can be see all at the same time, between October and December. It takes a complete year for the berry to develop from flower to ripe fruit. First they are gr...

How To Order Coffee In Portugal Just The Way You Like It

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, In : food and drink

The Portuguese are proud of their coffee. And not without reason! Some of the richest coffee growing countries in the world are ex-colonies of Portugal. Although the sound of the coffee grinder and the espresso machine can be annoying at times, it also promises a great quality coffee is nearby.

The Portuguese generally do not drink their coffee at home, but rather have one in the local café or pasteleria. Here they can order their beloved coffee, just the way they like it. If you want to ha...

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About Me

Marianne Hoesen

SãO Marcos Da Serra

Born in the deep south of The Netherlands, I moved to the central Algarve in 2007, together with my partner and 2 dogs. In the meantime we added some goats and chickens and are living a peaceful life in the rolling hills of the rural south of Portugal. I invite you to read a bit in my blog and to leave a comment afterwards. Also check out the holiday accommodations mentioned elsewhere in this website.