Now let's leave religious Easter traditions and focus on the table and physical well-being. Good luck for the fact that there is the following word in Portuguese: "Alma" (soul), which is very important to all Portuguese!
Let's move on to the following regions and dishes that are firmly anchored in our Easter tradition and should not be missing from the table, even today.
The typical sweet Easter is the "folar", a kind of bloated pasta that promises a sweet or salty content, depending on the region of the country. For example, in Vila do Conde (north-west of Portugal), the "folar" is always sweet and may or may not have candied fruit or dried fruit. In Trás-os-Montes (north-east of Portugal), the typical folar is stuffed with meat from veal, pork, rabbit, chicken, or with ham or sausage. There are also folares, which are a mixture of sweet and salty, as they are made in the Beiras region (central east of Portugal), where the folar is seasoned with cinnamon and fennel, but garnished with boiled eggs, which are baked along with the dough.
In addition to folar, roasted almonds, with or without toppings, are also a success and widely used as an Easter gift when visiting the family. Here it sometimes happens that the uneaten almonds from the previous year are given away again to relatives, who may not exactly "play first fiddle in our lives".
Other typical Easter sweets in Portugal are those that are also eaten on other festive days of the year, such as: empanadilhas (crescent-shaped sweets filled with nuts or almonds), queijadinhas (sweet cheesecake), stuffed balls (such as sonhos), butter biscuits and cornbread, pão de ló (cake with undercooked sweet egg dough) - favorite dessert of Gordon Ramsey in Portugal. Then "Borrachos alentejanos" (simple fried cakes), "brioches" (buttery sweet buns); "Cavacas" (baked biscuits made from eggs, sugar, wheat, oil and vanilla); "Bolo podre" (simple cake dough with honey that takes on a darker color).
Easter is one of the most popular festivals of the Portuguese, especially in terms of secular traditions and, of course, the typical dishes and sweets that give the festival a special shine.
Easter in Portugal is celebrated as a family celebration, regardless of religious beliefs, and is a celebration of colors, joy, and taste. It is a time to enjoy culinary delights such as lamb, puff pastry and almonds in a convivial atmosphere with family and friends.
From north to south, we are rich in traditions, rituals, and culinary treasures that have been passed down from generation to generation: a unique heritage to be preserved. Because Easter in Portugal is also synonymous with family reunions and lots of food.
Traditionally, the whole family gathers around a table at Easter and eats goat or lamb on Easter Sunday. But a suckling pig can also end up on the table at Easter. The most important thing for all Portuguese people is to bring the family together, as most families can only gather twice a year because you live so far away from each other. Because the best jobs for most Portuguese can be found either abroad or in Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Leiria or the Algarve. The older generation, such as grandparents and relatives, have mostly stayed in the interior of the country or moved back there after retirement, as has become the case in many families in Germany.
This family reunion is traditional and most important for most families. Although the Catholic spirit is still present in most homes, Easter in particular proves to be another reason to visit one's homeland or homeland to meet one's loved ones.
Gastronomy