3 Traditional Foods
You Have To Try in Chaves

This smoked Portuguese sausage is typically made with a combination of various types of meat, bread, garlic, olive oil, and paprika. It is believed that the original alheira was invented during the Inquisition by Portuguese Jews who had to practice Jewish tradition in secret. To disguise as Christians, they started producing sausages but would replace the traditional pork meat with poultry and game. The sausage soon became popular throughout the country, and today it comes in numerous varieties that sometimes even use fish or pork meat and fat as the base. Though it can be grilled or boiled, it is most commonly deep-fried, topped with a fried egg and accompanied by rice, salad, and fries.Expand

The filling for this traditional smoked delicacy is made by combining small pieces of meat and bread. This sausage is traditionally smoked using olive or oak wood, which gives it a unique flavor, aroma, and color while enhancing the flavor of the spices. Mirandela sausage contains beef and pork meat along with fat, poultry meat, wheat bread, olive oil, and lard, and it's flavored and seasoned with salt, garlic, and sweet or hot paprika. This sausage is an irreplaceable ingredient in traditional Portuguese dishes such as açorda, cannelones, and pies, but it can also be served as a main dish with a side of potatoes or vegetables.Expand

This clam-shaped Portuguese delicacy is made with a puff pastry shell that is filled with a unique mixture of minced veal, bread, and onions. The tradition of preparing pastel de Chaves dates back to 1862, and according to a popular legend, the first person to sell these unique pastries was Teresa Feliz Barreira, the founder of Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro, the first establishment where pastel de Chaves could be bought. The original recipe stayed in her possession for 75 years, until the 1940s, when other bakeries in Chaves started to manufacture and sell the same product. The Portuguese city of Chaves protected this famous pastry as their authentic product, which licensed them to be the only location where pastel de Chaves can be produced and sold. According to municipal records, the town of Chaves produces more than 25,000 of these delectable pastries daily. In recent history, numerous other varieties have appeared, including the sweet versions, but only the original, savory version is allowed to carry the name pastel de Chaves.Expand