A day of sightseeing in Porto begins with a stroll through its old town and then goes on to admire the Torre dos Clérigos. Another common visit is usually to buy a book at the Lello bookstore and then browse it at the Majestic café until it is time to eat. At this time, the traveler will want try some typical delicacy of the local gastronomyWhether they are the green broth, one of the most popular in the neighboring country; the ‘tripas à moda do Porto’, which are similar to tripe, a cod recipe … or a francesinha.
This last option is one of the typical dishes of Portuguese gastronomy. A caloric bomb is not suitable for all stomachs, especially due to the heat of its sauce. Francesinha is a recipe native to the city of Porto, which has become a very popular dish among tourists and university students.
What is the francesinha?
La francesinha is a snack that carries inside sausage, beef, cooked ham and sausage. In addition, it is covered with cheese and drizzled with a sauce special whose recipe is different in each restaurant. As Rita Custódio and Álex Tarradellas explain in the guide ‘A short trip to Porto’, the key to this delicacy is the sauce, which is usually “stored with 7 keys in the recipe book of each restaurant”. The ingredients of the salsa they are usually: beer, tomato, chilli and sometimes even port wine.
This caloric bomb, in addition, usually goes accompanied with french fries and sometimes it carries a egg above the bread. In the Custódio y Tarradellas guide, it tells that the origin dates back to 1952, when Daniel da Silva, an emigrant recently returned to his country, invented this very complete recipe and gave it this name in homage to the “spiciest woman he had ever known in his life. life”.
Interpretations with different levels of fidelity
As is often the case with the typical dishes of any region, the recipes depend on the hands that cook them. Like the potato omelette or paella, the francesinha is a simple preparation that lends itself to the creativity of each cook. In the network we can find from the francesinha of the menu of the day of many portuenses restaurants to unthinkable fusions like the francesinha-kebab.
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
