A number of food and drink products from Portugal have been granted Protected Geographical Status under European Union law and UK law through the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) [1] regimes. The legislation is designed to protect regional foods and came into force in 1992.
In 2021, the following indications were registed: [2]
Do not confuse with DOC ( Denominação de Origem Controlada ), which is a Portuguese national classification scheme.
This list is sourced from the official index published by the European Commission and is not complete. [2]
Chorizo is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite different from each other, occasionally leading to confusion or disagreements over the names and identities of the products in question.
The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal, from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others.
Alheira is a type of Portuguese sausage, made with meats and bread.
Presunto is dry-cured ham from Portugal, similar to Italian prosciutto or Spanish jamón. Among the wide variety of presuntos in Portugal, the most famous are presunto from Chaves, produced in the north of Portugal, and that from the Alentejo, in the south, made from local Alentejano pigs.
Castelo Branco is a cheese named after the city of the same name in Portugal, the main city of the district where it is produced.
Farinheira is a Portuguese smoked sausage made mainly from wheat flour, pork fat and seasonings. It has a yellow/brown colour and is served in traditional dishes like feijoada or cozido à portuguesa. It is also eaten on its own, roasted or fried. In modern versions, it is previously cooked, then peeled and mixed with scrambled eggs and served on bread or toast as a starter.
Agriculture in Portugal is based on small to medium-sized family-owned dispersed units; however, the sector also includes larger-scale intensive farming export-oriented agrobusinesses backed by companies. The extent of cooperative organisation has been reaching a greater importance with globalization. Portugal produces a wide variety of products, including green vegetables, rice, corn, wheat, barley, olives, oilseeds, nuts, cherries, bilberry, table grapes and edible mushrooms. Forestry has also played an important economic role among the rural communities and industry. In 2013, the gross agricultural product accounted for 2.4% of the GDP. Portugal is the largest world producer of both cork and carob, as well as the third largest exporter of chestnut and the third largest European producer of pulp. Portugal is among the top ten largest olive oil producers in the world and is the fourth biggest exporter. The country is also one of the world's largest exporters of wine, being reputed for its fine wines. The land area of slightly more than 9.2 million hectares was classified as follows : 2,755 arable land and permanent crops, 530 permanent pasture, 3,640 forest and woodland, and 2,270 other land.
Alcains is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Castelo Branco. The population in 2021 was 4615, in an area of 36.94 km². Alcains is located within the urban agglomeration of Castelo Branco - Covilhã - Guarda, situated 12 km to the north of Castelo Branco, 230 km to the northeast of Lisbon and 280 km southeast from Oporto, while 70 km to the west of the Portuguese-Spanish border and 380 km from Madrid). It is served by the A23_motorway_(Portugal) highway, by the EN18 and EN352 national roadways, and also a rail-line from Beira Baixa Linha_da_Beira_Baixa.
Queijo de Nisa is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese from the municipality of Nisa, in the subregion of Alto Alentejo in Portugal. It is created from raw milk, which is coagulated, then curdled using an infusion of thistle. It is yellowish white, with a robust flavor and a somewhat acidic finish.
Honey comes in various types based on the region it is grown and the types of flower that provide the nectar.
The term "provinces" has been used throughout history to identify regions of continental Portugal. Current legal subdivisions of Portugal do not coincide with the provinces, but several provinces, in their 19th- and 20th-century versions, still correspond to culturally relevant, strongly self-identifying categories. They include:
Torrão is a civil parish and town, in the municipality of Alcácer do Sal, in the Portuguese district of Setúbal, bordering on the districts of Évora and the Beja. It is crossed by the river Xarrama River. The population in 2011 was 2,295, in an area of 372.39 km2.
Alentejo is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus river" (Tejo).
Infraestruturas de Portugal, S.A. (IP) is a state-owned company which resulted from the merger of Rede Ferroviária Nacional (REFER) and Estradas de Portugal (EP). It manages the Portuguese rail and road infrastructure.
Porco Bísaro is a domestic pig breed that is native to Portugal, typically from the Trás-os-Montes, Alto-Douro, Minho, and Beira regions.