Gastronomy - Flores Island - Traditional Food Specialities - Azores

Besides the meat and fish recipes that can be said to be "Azorean", since they can be found all over the archipelago, Flores also offers such local specialities as watercress soup, boiled pork with vegetables, tripe, yams with tasty sausages, beans with pigs head and pasteis de ervas marinhas.

Boiled pork with vegetables, *Lotta Gallery

The tasty cheese produced on the island, the soft creamy butter, and the delicious honey which has the scent of flowers always present on Flores throughout the year, complement the meals. Not forgetting of course the crabs, goose barnacles and limpets found on the rocks washed by the sea.

Cuisine - Gastronomy - Faial - Azores

Here the meat and dairy products are of excellent quality, since all the local cattle is raised in the most natural conditions. From the imense sea around come the fresh fish and seafood and, although the numbers are decreasing, this is also applicable to fruit and vegetables grown on the island.

Blood Sausage over Pineapple

The specialties of Faial that are served in practically ever restaurant include mouthwatering dishes of linguiça (sausage) and inhames (yams), molha de carne (roast meat), delicacies like morcelas and torresmos de vinha-de-alhos that one can only perceive after having tasted, sopas do Espírito Santo (Holy Ghost soup), fish soup, caldeirada (a must try), polvo guisado com vinho (octopus stewed in wine), and accompanied by pão e bolo de milho (corn bread and cake), and massa sovada. Moreover, there is a wide variety of seafood and shellfish available such as lobster, cavaco, deep-water crab and rice of lapas, all extremely well prepared and delicious. There are fine homemade liqueurs of coffee and milk, but the wine comes from Pico.

Gastronomy - Pico Islands - Traditional Food Specialties - Azores

Torresmos de porco (small browned rashers of bacon), morcela (blood pudding), linguiça com inhames (Portuguese sausage with yams) and molha de carne (a meat speciality) are the main dishes of a cuisine which, with caldo de peixe (fish soup), polvo guisado em vinho (octopus stewed in wine) and bolo-de-milho (prepared with maize), delights ail hearty eaters. Those who like shell-fish will find worthy companions for their appetite in the local lobsters, deep-water crabs and cavacos. The soft, white fresh cheese of Pico is a good start to a meal, which can end with the typical, delicious cheese of São João, with its yellow rind, soft interior and intense smell, produced from cow's milk.

Massa sovada, rosquilhas, vésperas and arroz doce are the typical sweets of the island, connected with the Holy Ghost Festivals. They are completed by the Carnival sweets, the filhoses, coscorões and sonhos. Fig and local brandies, made in old copper stills, are digestive beverages that are much appreciated. For those who like sweet drinks, Pico can offer the typical angelica.

Inhames

A famous "verdelho"
Born on the soil of lava, protected from the wind by walls of rough, dark stone, warmed by the rays of the sun, the bunches of grapes acquire the sweetness of honey. Squeezed, they produce a dry white wine with an alcoholic content of 15 to 17 degrees which, after ageing serves as an excellent appetiser. In the last century it was exported to many countries in Europe and America and even reached the tables of the Russian Court. The vineyards, which mark the landscape of the island, also produce a dry, fresh, light and fruity wine that is the ideal companion of a dish of shell-fish or fish, and also the red vinho de cheiro whose presence is compulsory on tables on feast days.

The orchard island
The ground made of lava, the sun and the dry climate make Pico the orchard of the Azores, where apple and pear trees, damson and peach trees, plum and orange trees flourish and produce sweet, juicy fruits that are taken early in the morning on the fruit boats to the town of Horta by the men and women who sell them there. But it is the figs, with an interior that is as red as rubies, a true delicacy for gourmets, that best symbolise the delicious fruit of Pico.

Gastronomy - Graciosa - Traditional Food Specialities

It is the fish that abounds off its coasts that holds the place of honour in the cooking of Graciosa, in the form of delicious fish stews and baked parrot fish. The local lobsters and spider-crabs are an exquisite meal in themselves while the smaller crabs and goose barnacles can serve as tasty appetisers.


The focal sweets are rich and varied and include not only cheese-cakes (queijadas) but specialities with such names as encharcados de ovos, capuchas, bolos de junça, cavacas, barrigas, pastéis de arroz, escomilhas and massa sovada, the last mentioned being connected with the Holy Ghost Festivals.
To accompany the meal there is the famous white wine of Graciosa, light, dry and fruity, or then the wine called vinho de cheiro that accompanies all the festivals in the island. The brandy, aged in casks, is an excellent digestive and those who like sweet drinks have the locally produced wine called angelica.

"Biscoitos" vines.
The first settlers came from lands where vine growing was a centuries-old tradition. When they saw the lava beds called biscoitos - sunny and only slightly damp, that covered part of the island, they immediately set to work and by dint of hard work managed to plant there the vine shoots brought from the continent. This marked the birth, in the early 16th century, of the vineyards that cut the landscape up into rectangles of black stone. The phylloxera ravaged the vineyards in the 19th century but the initial verdelho strain was joined by arinto and later by terrantês, which ensured the survival of the vines on the island.

Gastronomy - Terceira Island - Traditional Food Specialities - Azores

A trading emporium frequented for centuries by galleons and other ships from exotic lands, Terceira saw its food lose its initial frugality during the 16th and 17th centuries. Over the years other influences came, adding the present richness and refinement to the island's gastronomy. These influences range from the presence of Spanish troops for almost 80 years, the liberal emigrants from absolutism and the Englishmen connected with the "orange trade", to the conventual recipes for sweets and liqueurs. The meat specialities called Holy Ghost soups, alcatra and cozido, as well as the wine known as vinho de cheiro, are connected with the festivities that animate the whole island in the summer. Having a place in the festivals is also massa sovada or kneaded dough, which is baked into biscuits of various shapes including some with the forms of animals and human beings, Other delicious dishes are caldeirada (fish stew) with apples, sarapatel (haggis) and morcela (a kind of sausage) as well as the various traditional recipes for octopus, rabbit (with a special sauce called molho de vilão), crabs, goose barnacles and limpets.

Massa Sovada

But cooking on Terceira reaches perfection in the form of the over two hundred recipes for sweets. Most of these sweetmeats, such as donas-amélias and coscorões, are made in accordance with conventual traditions. Fresh cheeses made from goat's milk and the Ilha cheese made from cow's milk put a fine finish to a meal. As regards wines, Porto Martins and Pesqueiro produce a verdelho while that of Biscoitos enjoys great local fame.

Confections
Sugar paste, mixed with water and a drop of vinegar, is transformed by the skilled hands of women confectioners into flowers, doves, chickens, swans, rabbits and calves - a varied, sweet and fantastic world of sugar. These sweetmeats are associated with the Festivals of the Holy Ghost and those of the patron saints, and are often used as an ex-voto of thanks for miracles obtained. In the latter case the confection takes the shape of the part of the human body that has been cured (a breast, arm, leg, etc.). These sweetmeats are long-lasting and therefore, when not consumed by visitors with a sweet tooth, make an original souvenir of Terceira.

Sweet potatoes
The mild climate of the Azores and its position as a port of call from the 15th to the 17th centuries enabled Terceira to add to the traditional European crops of the time new plants brought from other continents. This led to the fact that early in the 16th century, before it was introduced in Europe, the sweet potato was being planted in Terceira, whence it spread to the other islands. For the same reasons maize, yams and potatoes have been part of the diet of Azoreans from those early times.

Pineapples, Tea and Tobacco - Traditional Food Specialities - Sao Miguel

The traditional old recipes remain alive in succulent dishes such as caldo azedo (a kind of soup), couves solteiras (prepared with cabbages). fervedouros, polvo guisado em vinho de cheiro (octopus stewed in local wine), torresmos em molho de figado (rashers of bacon with liver sauce), caldeiradas de peixe (fish stews), arroz de lapas (limpets with rice), ensopado de trutas (trout stew) and lapas de molho Afonso (limpets with a tasty sauce). To these must be added the curious cozido prepared at Furnas, where the pot containing meat and vegetables is buried in the soil wrapped in a cloth bag so that the volcanic heat can do its work... and several hours later it is ready to delight the palate with its flavour.

Lobster, cavaco, crabs and the strange goose barnacles, hidden in the holes they carve in the rocks, satisfy the needs of shellfish lovers. As regards cheese, São Miguel can offer a smooth white fresh variety made from goat's milk and the famous queijo da ilha, made from cow's milk and with a piquant flavour when dry. The old conventual recipes for desserts are the delight of people with a sweet-tooth. Examples are the queijadas (cheese-cakes) of Vila Franca do Campo, the concertos of Ribeira Grande, the bolo levedo of Furnas as well as the barriga-de-freira, massa sovada, bichos de amendoa and compota de capucho (a jam made from the small fruit of a herbaceous plant). The Caloura region produces a wine called vinho de cheiro or morangueiro, which is light and has a characteristic flavour. The liqueurs made from passion-fruit and pineapples are agreeable ways of concluding a meal.


Pineapples, tea... and tobacco. One of the curious things about São Miguel is the hot-houses for pineapples, which produce flavoursome, sweet fruits all year round for markets in many European countries. The main concentrations of hot-houses are situated in the areas of Faja de Cima, Lagoa and Vila Franca do Campo. Tea, that delicious beverage brought from China, is also produced on plantations that attract attention because of the unusual and charming sight of the green tea bushes covering hills and dales, divided into fields by hedges of araucarias and Japanese cedars.
Tea growing got under way in the late l9th century and in 1878 two Chinese came to São Miguel to teach the islanders the complex tasks involved in its preparation. The main plantations are located at Gorreana, next to the old Chapel of Senhora do Resgate. Another plant that finds optimum conditions for its development in the sub-tropical climate of the Azores is tobacco, which is grown almost everywhere in the land and is manufactured locally.

Furnas Valley - Sao Miguel - The Charm of the Landscape

Huge hollow and luxurious garden in which the colour of the flowers is mixed with the bright green of the Japanese cedars and araucarias. Leafy vegetation from cold and tropical countries, with some species that are hard to find in their lands of origin, Calm and romantic Lake Furnas, with the Gothic profile of José do Canto's chapel - dedicated to Our Lady of Victories - reflected on its clear waters, invites the visitor to rest for a few minutes. On its banks are volcanic solfataras and the "natural kitchens" in which the famous dish called cozido is cooked by burying in the soil hermetically closed pots containing meat and vegetables.


The Caldeiras or craters are an area with diverse forms of volcanic activity, one the most spectacular being Caldeira de Pero Botelho with its boiling mud. Next to the Caldeiras are springs of thermal water at various temperatures. A full-fledged spa, with Pavilions and a hospital (19th c.), is integrated in this complex.
Based on plantations started by Thomas Hickling in the 18th century and continued in the 19th century, Terra Nostra Park, in the picturesque parish of Furnas, is a romantic vision of ponds, winding paths, flowers, centuries-old exotic trees and silence, Two streams converge in the park and there is a pond of warm thermal water that is used as a swimming-pool. A golf course and tennis courts are also part of the tourist complex of Furnas Valley.

The valley is crossed by two fast-flowing streams, one with cold water and the other with warm water coloured by iron in suspension. Typical water-mills exist.
Nearby lies the height called Pico de Ferro, a belvedere affording an expansive view of Furnas Valley. There are also a lot of small waterfalls.

Sao Jorge - Traditional Food Specialties

The typical meat and fish dishes of the Azorean cuisine are also present in São Jorge. It has exclusive rights, however, to the fleshy cockles that are caught in the waters of the lake called Caldeira de Santo Cristo. There is also a large variety of sweets with names such as coscorões, rosquilhas de aguardente, espécies, suspiros, esquecidos, bolo de véspera, cavacas, bolo de coalhada and doce branco.


São Jorge Cheese
The green grass of the fields is transformed into milk in the udders of the local cows. And from it are produced creamy, straw-coloured cheeses that have the size of wheels and weigh from 7 to 12 kilos. Cured for several months in rooms where a constant temperature is maintained, the cheese acquires a honey coloured rind. Afterwards, it is exported to various countries, where it is appreciated for the piquant flavour it acquires with time... and which makes it a delicious appetiser.

Azorean Cuisine - Gastronomy - Brief Description

Food in the Azores has a Portuguese base, but with a strong local flavor. Limpets (a shellfish), crayfish and rabbit stews are specialties. Octopus stewed in wine is typical of São Miguel, while beef stew is traditional on Terceira. Fish chowders are rich and tasty, and the fresh catch of the day is featured at most eateries.

The wide variety of local fish is a benefit of being in the middle of the ocean, and each island has its own way of preparing the bounty of the sea. On land, there is no shortage of cows, grazing in natural pastures. Thus, the Azores offer fine beef, served in numerous ways including grilled and roasted in a wine sauce. And, the Portuguese staple of salted codfish is omnipresent here, with unusual local and traditional mainland recipes.


There is a large variety of local cheeses, mostly made from cow's milk. São Jorge's cheeses are famous throughout Europe. And, São Miguel, Pico, and Faial also produce excellent cheeses. Try them on any of the many local breads, from the sweet breads, to the flat breads of Pico, or the levedo muffins of São Miguel. And, the vast array of pastries and cakes makes the Azores a sweet place to visit. Try grilled pineapple, Dona Amelia cakes, or the cheese cakes from either Graciosa or Vila Franca on São Miguel.

Pineapple hot houses are unique to the Azores, with the island of São Miguel boasting more than 6,000. The local pineapple is quite different than any other, with a small crown, and an intense flavor. Better yet, it is grown year-round. Add pineapple to the many pastries and cakes of the Azores, and any local meal is guaranteed to end well.

While there is no shortage of table wines from the mainland, fine wines, liqueurs and brandies are distilled on the islands. Be sure to try the wines of the lava soil of Pico, the excellent wines of Graciosa, and wine from the north coast or Terceira. Exotic fruits are made into liqueurs and potent brandies. And, Especial, the local beer, is an excellent lager.

Azores - A Walkers Wild Paradise - Fauna, Flora, History, Churches and Gastronomy

Located right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America, the Azores are a widely separated group of nine islands in the Atlantic, west of Portugal. The islands are mountainous in the interior and forested, leading down to long beaches and fishing harbors.

Each endowed with their own special landscapes and charm. Each is enveloped in shades of fertile green, flowers, phenomenal volcanoes, marvelous lakes located at the bottom of craters and other mysterious caves and caverns. Pico has its very own majestic mountain which is a sight to behold. The landscap suits over 55 native vascular plants which transform the Azores into a fascinating botanical Garden for plant lovers. Cedar trees, Heather, ling, mountain grapes, white wood, ginger, dogwood and the "tamujo" bush, to name but a few of the local species.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the birds are the most attractive fauna of the region, in particular the priolo, a native species, the hawk, blackbird, "cagarro", wood-pigeon are common and red garajau. The sea off the Azores is home to hundreds of species of fish and shellfish as well as imposing mammals such as sperm whales, making it a truly living aquarium. The Azores' commitment to the preservation of nature and environmental protection led the European Union to award the Azores an honorable mention in 1995 as part of the European Awards for Tourism and the Environment.

The islands' churches provide the only remaining traces of the settlement period. The 15th to the 18th centuries saw intense building work on the islands resulting in interesting examples of civil and religious art, especially baroque. The art and ethnographic museums and the popular architecture of each islands give credence to the cultural heritage of the region and allow us to delve deeper into the history and life of Azoreans over the centuries.

The Azoreans are a deeply religious people and this finds no better expression than at their festivals, which carry on the traditions of pious devotion The Festivals of Espirito Santo, rooted in medieval traditions, (May and September). The Festivals of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres in Ponta Delgada (São Miguel); the Festivals of Sanjoaninas in Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira island); the Semana do Mar in Horta (Faial island); the festival of the whalers on the islands of Pico and Mare in August on Santa Maria island; and the merry carnival of the island of Graciosa constitute the high points of the festival calendar which lasts all year round.

The many traditional recipes of Azorean cuisine are a culinary delight for the gastronome, particularly those with a penchant for sumptuous, fresh fish who will find their own personal heaven in the Azores. For dessert, there are a wide variety of puddings as well as excellent cheeses (the prime example coming from the island of São Jorge), sweet and juicy pineapples, the tropical passion fruit and herb tea grown on the island of São Miguel, White and red wines, brandy from the island of Craciosa, verdelho from the island of Pico and Biscoitos (Terceira island) are all a "must for those making a gastronomic tour of the Azores.

Historically, the Portuguese came onto the scene in 1427 with the discovery of the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel. Due to its strategic geographic position, the archipelago was to become one of the axes of navigation between Europe, the Orient and America during the course of the 16th and 17th centuries. This period saw the occurrence of major naval battles off the Azores when the islands were set upon by pirates. Today the Azores is an autonomous region endowed with its own parliament and government.

Visiting the Azores means entering a world where nature's luxuriant beauty is on show and the presence of man becomes a distant memory as you are swept away to a primordial universe.

Flores, the Island of Flowers - History, Attractions, Festivals and Gastronomy

Flores is the westernmost island of the Azores Archipelago, part of the archipelago’s western group. The island technically lies on the North American continental plate, and the village of Fajã Grande in Flores is actually Europe’s westernmost village.

Flores is considered one of the most beautiful of the Azorean islands. The word “Flores” in Portuguese means flowers – fitting since Flores is a pretty collage of blue and pink hydrangeas, amid deep valleys, high peaks, volcanic caldeiras, fresh water lakes and waterfalls, sulphurous hot springs, pastures and vineyards, exotic forests, and cliffs carved with grottoes. Once a kept secret, Flores has seen its tourism industry grow substantially in the last decade.


Flores was first discovered in 1452 by Diogo de Teive and his son. It was named Flores for the copious wild flowers covering the entire island. It is believed the seeds of the island’s flowers were planted by migratory birds from Florida. The town was initially settled by a Fleming, Wilhelm van der Haagen, followed by farmers from the Portuguese mainland who turned the island into an agricultural producer of barley, wheat, maize and woad.

For centuries, Flores was isolated, visited only by the odd cargo trading boats, pirates, and enemy fleets like that of the English in 1587. Pirates were especially attracted to Flores; during the 16th and 17th centuries, the island served as a refueling base for Spanish galleons returning from Mexico and Peru with valuable treasures, which drew the attention of pillaging bandits.

During much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Flores was frequented by U.S. whaling ships. The French established a satellite communications center in Flores in 1963 and remained on the island until 1994. In recent years, improved port facilities and the construction of an airport have helped the island develop economically, especially in the agricultural and livestock-breeding industry.


Flores is said to offer all of the natural beauty found in the other Azorean islands in a single island. The typography of Flores is rugged with several cliffs that descend into valleys and lakes. One of the most popular attractions is the seven lakes of Flores located in the central part of the island. These craters were once volcanoes but now form seven beautiful lakes.

The Rocha dos Bordões is a spectacular scenic site offering views over the Fajã Grande and the Ribeira Grande waterfall, which drops from a 1000 feet altitude, as well as views of the other 20 waterfalls at Fajazinha. From below, the Rocha dos Bordões presents a majestic picture of vertically-indented lines of basalt formations.

The Morro Alto, which is the highest point on Flores at an altitude of 3000 feet as well as the Sete Pés Pico, the Pedrinha, Pico da Sé are all mountain peaks worth visiting. Aside from the scenic views, there are many natural lakes along the climb up the slopes of these mountains that can be enjoyed.

The caverns and hot springs of Flores are worth visiting as well. The Gruta de Enxaréus (or Gruta dos Incharéus) is an enormous cavern by the seashore, measuring 165 feet long and 80 feet wide. And Ãguas Quentes is the site of small hot springs that boil with sulphurous waters.


Flores has a vibrant festival life, holding many traditional celebrations involving folk dance and music like the Sapateia, the Tirana, the Remo, the Chamarrita Encaracolada, the Manjericão, the Pezinho de Baixo, the Ciranda and many others.

The Santa Cruz festival is a particular favorite. Held in August, the entire village of Santa Cruz is decorated and covered with flowers. Other festivals include the Holy Ghost Festival, the Sanjoaninas Festival, the Lady of Flores Festival, the Folares Festival in Easter, and the Emigrant Festival in June.


Flores offers unique specialty dishes like the Agrião Soup, molho de dobrada, terra root with linguiça, pork cozido, beans with pig's head and seaweed pastes. Flores cuisine is also particularly noted for its use of honey taken from the island’s beautiful flowers. The local seafood – crabs, limpits, and cracas – is raved by many tourists. The island also produces some of the most delicious cheeses, noted for their creamy and soft buttery textures.