Where the Wild Foods Are:
Savor the other Side of Portuguese Food

It’s well established that Portugal has a fertile coastline that brings to the table delectable seafood dishes. You’ve heard of the pork sandwiches as well as the pastries–and of course, the cured cod. Is there more? Yes, there is, but it’s hardly ever shared with you unless you’re invited into a Portuguese home.

In the Beira region, there are wild asparagus to pick, mushrooms to dig up, and root vegetables to pull up and place on the plate. And each has their own festival! The locals celebrate the arrival of these foods each year, and you can join them. Through this experience, you’ll hit the terrain with certified, expert guides at your side to learn how the locals have foraged for these foods for centuries. The experience extends from the ground to the table, where a chef prepares each ingredient for your enjoyment in remarkable locations.

Beyond what’s foraged, the Portuguese diet is also high in legumes, and in Beira Baixa there are many regional varieties to explore. From hearty red bean winter stews to lighter black-eyed pea salads in the summer, beans and chickpeas are a mainstay in Portuguese cuisine–and in this region these recipes abound. There are festivals for these, too, of course! As part of your experience, you’ll meet local producers and sit at the table with a Portuguese family to learn the many ways in which locals enjoy their legumes. The experience is also an opportunity to visit the festivals (depending on timing) and the historic villages that surround them.