Madeiran Cuisine

"Food is the passport to a thousand journeys, each bite an adventure." –Unknown

Madeira's cuisine is influenced by many different flavors and ingredients due to its location in the Atlantic Ocean between Portugal and Morocco. Seafood is a staple of the traditional Madeiran diet, and the island is known for its oily fish like tuna and skipjack tuna, as well as leaner fish like black scabbard. Other popular seafood dishes include limpets, octopus and squid. Here are some other traditional Madeiran dishes:

Bolo do Caco - A traditional local flatbread made with flour and sweet potatoes and cooked on the stovetop or fire. It's served warm with garlic and parsley butter. We loved, loved, loved this bread. I will be making some at home.

Bolo de Mel de Cana (sugar cane honey cake) - A dense sponge cake made with nuts and spices and considered the island’s oldest desert. Tastes a bit like a spicy fruit cake.

Pão de Deus ("Bread for God") - A traditional Portuguese bread made with a blend of soft bread topped with a sweet coconut layer. This one we wanted to try, but never seemed to find it.

Espetada (skewered) – Grilled beef traditionally cooked on skewers made of the local laurel wood. The meat is cut in cubes and seasoned with garlic, rock salt, and bay leaf before cooking it over hot coals. Most of these were large enough to feed several people. The servings of these are very large.

Prego – A sandwich made with bolo do caco bread spread with garlic butter and a thin beef steak.  Sometimes it’s served with lettuce, tomato, cheese and ham. It's truly delicious. I'd have to say they're almost better than a hamburger.

Lapas or Limpets (Barnacles) - Are mollusks, similar to clams, which have a conical shaped shell, living strongly attached to rocks along the shoreline. Served in Madeira grilled with butter, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Wanted to try these but just didn't.  

Caldeirada (stew) - A unique fish and seafood stew cooked in a clay pot. We saw this on the menus, but didn't have a chance to try it.

Espada (black scabbard fish) - A Madeira traditional food that looks pretty scary and unappetizing until it's cooked. It has a  delicate in flavor and a Madeiran food not to miss. Stan had this fish at least four times and loved it.

The traditional way to serve it is with fried bananas.

Octopus - Although not a traditional Madeira dish, it's incredibly popular on the island. You can have it cooked in lots of different ways, as a starter, as a side or with rice. It was our first time to try octopus and it was very good.

Carne de Vinha D’alhos (Garlic Vineyard Meat) - A Madeira dish that consists of small pieces of pork meat marinated in garlic and wine for at least a day, and then cooked in the marinade. We didn't have a chance to try this one either.

Nata - Devine little treats with a crusty flaky pastry filled to the brim with sweet egg custard and caramelized on top. Very popular in Portugal. We had these little treats in many places. 

Madeira Wine - originated in the 18th century, when the island started exporting wine to the rest of the world. They found that the wine that wasn’t sold and was returned home was much more aromatic and flavorful than when it first left the island. We have tried this wine here and at home and we aren't big fans.

Poncha - A traditional alcoholic drink made with aguardente de cana (sugar cane rum), sugar and either orange juice or lemon juice. Some varieties include other fruit juices. These were very good...somewhere better than others.

Brisa Maracujá – A naturally carbonated soft drink made from purple passion fruit juice and treated water. It was created in 1970 and was the first soft drink in the world to be made from pure passion fruit juice. I did try the original and I wasn't a fan.