Visit Portugal between May and October, and you'll see "Há sardinhas"--
"We have sardines"--added to menus and scribbled on blackboards outside
restaurants. Taste them, and you'll know what all the fuss is about!

Dear International Living Reader,

Most monuments and even the people in Portugal are diminutive compared with those in the rest of Europe. Our Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue, built after the 1755 earthquake), running through the center of Lisbon, is a far cry from the length and grandeur of the Champs Elysées, for example. Still, people stroll up and down it, visiting the fashionable multinational stores that frame the tree-lined street, including Armani, Fashion Clinic, and Rodier. We also have Rossio Square, sitting prominently in the center of the capital, but it can't compare with St. Mark's in Venice (even if the occasional pigeon stops by to nibble tasty Portuguese bread).

But one thing that runs larger than life in Portugal is the sardine. Ask any American about sardines, and he'll point to a can from his local supermarket. Look on the label, and you'll often see "Product of Portugal." But you must come here to taste the real thing! From late May until October, the sardines are fresh, exceedingly tasty, and large--nearly three ounces apiece on average. Restaurants, from the fanciest to the simplest, add "Há sardinhas"--"We have sardines"--to their menus and scribble the phrase on blackboards outside. Taste them, and you'll be hooked!

Before you dig in, though, remember the local sardine etiquette. There are two schools of thought on this. One holds that you should first slice the sardine down the middle, remove the bone in the center, then eat the whole thing--eyes and all.

The second approach is to slap a charcoal-grilled fish between pieces of crusty Portuguese pão (bread) and eat the whole sardine, bones and all. (Some say the sardine bones are good for you--a rich source of calcium straight from the sea.)

Traditionally, the Portuguese eat their beloved sardines with roasted green pepper salad marinated in Portuguese extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and salt, along with boiled potatoes lightly flavored with butter. Wash it all down with a chilled glass of light Portuguese vinho verde (green wine), and you're set for a fine summer meal.

Best of all, this dish won't clean out your wallet. The average cost for a large plate of sardines in Portugal, consisting of at least four to five sardines, is 8 euro ($9.60). The cost can run as little as 3 euro ($3.60) in a neighborhood tasca (café), which is maybe the best place to eat them, along with the locals. You can pay 15 euro ($18) in one of the fancier seaside restaurants, but you'll be paying for the linen napkins. In a glorious Portuguese summer, the sardines are all the same..

Pat Westheimer
For International Living

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Portugal: further resources
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* If you daydream about finding a new home in Portugal…Italy… Spain…Greece… Cyprus…Hungary…Czech Republic…or other European countries, you'll find what you need to start your search in IL's Your Own Second Home in Europe. No other publication anywhere makes it as easy to compare information about so many different destinations.

* "If the friendly people, sunny weather, good food, and low cost of life here in Portugal tempt you to stay, you'll find helpful new friends and practical advice at the Centro Cultural de Cascais…"

* If you're looking for the must-see places and cultural highlights of Portugal, we can help you find them…along with the best local dishes, open-air markets, day trips, scenic viewpoints, and sunny beaches…in The World's Best: The Ultimate Book For The International Traveler. Not intended for the average traveler, this book details the world's best destinations and the very best things to do and sights to see once you get there.

* "Terraced vineyards…green valleys…old-fashioned towns, where the rhythm of life still revolves around agriculture and fishing. Portugal's north country is almost virgin territory. Exploring this sleepy land, you feel like a traveler not a tourist-and you can't say that about many places in Europe today…" Read the rest of this article online through our archives. Note: For paid subscribers to the print edition only.