What's Different about living in Portugal? - Groceries

People who are unfamiliar with Portugal often ask us what it's like to live here vs the US. As recent transplants now residing in Portugal, we'll share our experiences so far.

You've probably heard or experienced that Europeans are accustomed to shopping frequently and locally, buying fresh seasonal products for the day's needs instead of filling their pantry and fridge for the week on a single shopping trip, as we do in the US.

Most Portuguese do the same, shopping where they can get the best, freshest, seasonal, and most inexpensive products, or just where they are most comfortable shopping. It's not uncommon for locals to shop daily and at multiple locations. Meat, Produce, Fish, Breads, etc., are purchased at sacred favorite locations.

Yes, there is an abundance of "Supermarkets (Supermercados)" Pingo Doce, Auchan, Continente, InterMarche, Lidl, Aldi, etc., where it is possible to one-stop shop. Most will buy pantry and household supplies at the Supermercados, although they are becoming familiar with the convenience of one place for everything. Rarely will you see a shopping cart filled to the top with a family's weekly shopping needs.

Every neighborhood also has small local Mercados (think Convenience stores or Bodegas) that are stocked with many of the same items as a larger grocery store but in much smaller quantities. They will often have a large selection of fresh seasonal produce, frequently grown by someone in the area or by the store owners themselves. We love the small Minimercado in our village; it is family-run, with most of the produce and fantastic honey from their farm. These are great for locals with limited transportation or to pop in for that item or two that will save you a trip to the larger market.

Well before the existence of Super Mercados, the Public Markets (Mercado Central) were the one-stop shop for most needs. They are still a local favorite; most are open mornings until about 2 pm. Here you will find several individual stalls selling the freshest produce, local farmed honey, nuts, herbs, flowers, and other specialties. In a separate area, you'll generally find Butchers, Charcuterie, Cheese, and Dairy stands. Another area is reserved for Fish, where several display their whole items (Sardines at just about every stand) for sale, ranging from the local catch to harvested Oysters/Clams/Mussels/Shrimp and more. Some Mercados will have vendors for live small animals like Chickens, Ducks, Turkeys, Goats, Birds, etc.

Where to find stuff...

Meat - from one of the supermarkets or best at the great neighborhood butcher shops or a stall at the Mercado Central. We have two favorite butchers; each has a great selection of quality meats, but each specializes in a few items. One has a great selection of imported Brazilian beef along with their local Pork, Poultry, Lamb, etc... The second has a wider variety of poultry. Both have great sausages made on the premises! We love the Porco Preto (Black Pork), Frango (Chicken) is available in several forms. The Frango de Campo (wild free-range) is great and has a slight game bird flavor; the smaller Frango Asado birds are popular for Piri Piri Chicken, and we find even the standard chickens have a far greater flavor than chicken in the States.

Fish - most of the supermarkets carry a large selection, but I prefer to buy from the expansive number of stalls in the Mercado Central or a Peixaria (local shop) in the community. We have found that the Mercado Central generally has the best selection and freshness. You'll find many locally caught/harvested selections of fish and shellfish, along with imports like large beautiful prawns from Madagascar. Fishing is a big part of the lifestyle here, so we tend to buy what's caught locally. Oysters/Clams/Mussels are raised in the local estuaries and available at the Mercados. The fish are clearly labeled where they are caught/harvested; most not only state the country but the region. Look closely at the labels; many of the popular species like Robalo, Dourado, Oysters, Clams, etc., are farm-raised. Look for the source as Mar (from the sea), or Farm. Farm-raised is not a bad thing here because most farms are located in brackish rivers or estuaries and are connected to freshwater flow instead of being confined to a single enclosure.

Produce - mostly bought in the Mercado Central, direct from the grower on their farm, at the neighborhood market, or at one of the many farmers markets in town. We happen to have a great local Sunday farmers market that we frequent and a Saturday organic market in the nearby town.

If you are lucky, you live in an area where your neighbors grow produce; they usually grow much more than they can consume and are generous enough to share with you or sell for a very reasonable price. You may also make a connection with a local fisherman who will sell his daily catch. If this is the case, you should show your appreciation by offering to assist in any way you can. Helping in the garden, etc., goes a long way in establishing good neighbors.

We are also blessed with a great neighbor who has an extensive garden. She frequently knocks on our door to deliver a basket of freshly harvested produce! So far, we have received tomatoes, cucumbers, Oranges, mandarins, lemons, Green beans, lettuce, Herbs, Onions, potatoes, melons, and Figs! Pomegranates, more citrus fruits, Avocados, and persimmons are just about to ripen.

Organics are gaining in Portugal but are behind in availability, as in the US. We have found a few smaller stores that specialize in "Bio" products, and most of the larger grocery stores now have sections dedicated to BIO products. The criteria for Organic labeling are far more stringent in Europe, so most small farmers cannot afford the certification. Many of the local farmers do not use pesticides to grow their produce, so be sure to ask; you'll usually find that "organics" are far more available from these local sources, just not labeled as such. We have also recently discovered that there are a few weekly BIO markets in the area

Bread and Pastries: Portuguese LOVE their bread and Pastries! Just about everywhere you shop will have a wide selection of fresh breads and Pastries, from the supermarkets' long fresh-bread and pastry cabinets to the mercados and small neighborhood shops, but you will find most buy from a small local neighborhood Pastry shop or a local baker.

We have a bread baker in our village, a small nondescript door on one of the small streets; you'll find a room just large enough for a counter and bread shelves behind it. There's usually a line of people queued up to buy their bread for the day; one, two, or three loaves, depending on the number you need to feed, will set you back about €0.40 each. Next door, there is a much larger room with a very old stone-and-steel baking oven that looks as if it has been in there for centuries. Stacks of cut wood line the street just outside the door of this room, ready to be stoked in the old oven to bake the next round of bread. She doesn't offer pastries, so I often find myself walking around the corner to the local neighborhood Mercado to pick up fresh pastries in the morning. They don't make them on site but have them delivered by a nearby baker fresh every morning along with huge bags of more bread! Most breads don't have a lot of preservatives, so they don't store well but are designed to be consumed daily.

The bread is very good here, but I miss a good sourdough, and it's not common here. We've found a shop in neighboring Lagos where the baker specializes in naturally long-fermented sourdough and whole-grain breads.

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