Azorean Cuisines

  • Beef and pork, baked or fried, have a strong, savory presence in the local cuisine. They are usually served with bread made from either cornmeal or wheat flour, often complemented by popular types of sausage, such as blood puddings and Linguiça - a smoke cured pork sausage with recipes that differ from one island to another.

  • There is an abundance of delectable fish in the Azorean seas, and our fishing practices stress sustainability. Species such as tuna, blue jack mackerel and octopus are among those typically prepared in our restaurants and in the homes of our fishing villages.

  • An important staple food of the Azorean table, our hearty soups are based on vegetables, including potatoes, cabbage, beans, turnips, carrots and pumpkin.

  • Unquestionably, our dairy products – milk, cheese, and butter – are of unique and fine quality. The temperate weather year-round is responsible for our green pastures, and creates optimal conditions for raising dairy cows.

  • Heavenly sweets, especially puddings and custards made with our wonderful dairy products, are a distinct specialty of the Azores.

  • Luscious, sweet pineapples of the Azores are highly prized, and it never ceases to surprise those who visit us that the Azores is home to the only tea plantation in Europe. Certain superb clams and other shellfish are specially harvested in the Azores.

  • This is a tradition that dates back centuries and reaches its pinnacle on the island of Pico. There, vineyards are part of the Landscape of the Vineyard Culture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Production is equally important on the island of Graciosa and in the area of Biscoitos on the island of Terceira. The most popular is the fortified wine, made from "verdelho", although there are some fine white and red wines as well. Liqueurs made from fruit and fine herbs are also traditional and quite typical on the islands.