Portuguese Christmas Food
Portugal does not exactly have a white Christmas because there is not enough snow for that. However, we do have a colorful Christmas, and that feast of colors starts right at the table at the end of November.
A Portuguese Christmas is spent at the table surrounded by family. But what do we eat? Keep reading to find out everything about Portuguese Christmas Food.
Starters
Bread, cheese & olives. That’s it! The beginning of any Portuguese meal.
Main Dishes
Bacalhau
Christmas is not Christmas without codfish on the table!
Cod is part of Portuguese tables since the 15th century, and you can easily find one recipe for each day of the year – forever!
Christmas Eve dinner in Portugal – called Consoada – has cod as the main dish, served with boiled potatoes, cabbages, carrots, eggs, and olive oil, plenty of it!
Even though cod is the most common dish for Christmas Eve dinner, there are some regions where octopus is also served. Meat dishes are for after the Midnight Mass or for Christmas Day.
Lamb or Turkey
Meat can only be eaten on Christmas Day. Roasted lamb and goatling are the most common Christmas Day meals, although there are some regions where Portuguese eat turkey. Turkey was common in the past amongst wealthy families, and it was often eaten after the Midnight Mass. Depending on the area, these are the most common roasted dishes for Christmas Day lunch in Portugal.
Desserts
Bolo-Rei
The Bolo Rei can be seen on a table anywhere from mid-November until Epiphany Day. It is a kind of sweet bread and cake with a round shape with crystallized fruits on top. Inside you will find almonds, raisins, nuts, and a fava bean. The family member that gets the fava bean must buy or bake the Bolo Rei next year.
Filhós
Filhós are a deep-fried dough. After frying, they are dipped in cinnamon and brown sugar.
Rabanadas
Rabanadas are the Portuguese version of French Toasts. This is another proof that nothing goes to waste in Portuguese cuisine because you can use bread leftovers in this dessert. The trick is to dip the slices of bread in milk and eggs, and guess what? Yes, fry them in butter! After frying, they are immersed in brown sugar and cinnamon.
Sonhos
Another fried dessert also dipped in brown sugar and cinnamon, but this one is more like a doughnut: crisp outside and airy inside.
The difference between most of the fried Christmas desserts is the dough and the consistency of the dessert. Sonhos means “dreams”, so it is something very soft and light.
Coscorões
There is a pattern… but this is also another fried dough. Coscorões are crunchy and sweet with a bit of orange flavor. Of course, dipped in sugar and cinnamon.
Aletria
For a break of fried desserts, we have Aletria, which is a sweet pasta. Like sweet rice, this dessert is done with a thin pasta cooked with milk, sugar, cinnamon. If you have a sweet tooth, this dessert is for you.
The rest of the normal
Of course, besides all this, there is still Pão-de-Ló, chocolate mousse, sweet rice, and other cakes. You will also find fruits like pineapple, melon and grapes, and dried fruits such as walnuts, figs, pine nuts, and more.
Frequently asked questions about Portuguese Christmas food
Wine is a big part of any Portuguese meal. For the Consoada meal it is white or green wine. For Christmas lunch it will be a nice red wine.
The real answer is no! Although sometimes it is drank for fun, it is not a traditional Christmas drink in Portugal. Sweet drinks for Christmas meals can be Ginjinha or Licor Beirão.
We definitely already build some resistance, but this is a special occasion. It is not common to eat that much food and that many fried desserts.
It depends. Each household is usually around 4 people, so it can be something between 6 to 12 people in most families, sitting at a table fo Christmas and Easter.
What do you mean leftovers?! Most likely there will be leftovers, even with so many people eating. Everything is shared with other family members to take home. As for the rest, it is eaten in the next days until New Year’s. The table is set for the entire week.
This one is easy! You can’t go wrong with a bottle of good wine. Alternatively, you can bring some of the desserts mentioned above but also Arroz Doce (sweet rice), Pão-de-Ló, Chocolat Mousse or Farófias. If you are spending Christmas with a Portuguese family: do not count calories and save the diets for after New Year’s!
Read more about Christmas in Portugal
Christmas in Portugal
Lisbon Christmas Markets 2024
Tour Lisbon at Christmas
The months of November and December are great times to visit Lisbon. If you’re traveling to Lisbon during the holidays, consider booking one of our tours.
