And they are plenty!

Suffice to say we will stick with some of the most popular ones but you can always count on us to uncover more of these wonderful beverages during our exquisite Tours!

As such with Madeira Exquisite Food on Foot Tours you can rest assured we will accompany you every step of the way!

So please check our availability: https://www.madeirafoodonfoot.com/our-tours.html

 As for the drinking delicacies here are some of the most popular in Madeira:

Aguardente de Cana 

Madeira’s Sugar Cane Rum is a popular and agricultural rum which results from the perfect combination of natural and human factors, allied with a secular “know how”, which grants unique and distinct characteristics to this product.  As a type of firewater it is produced through controlled fermentation and careful distillation, along with sugar cane syrup, obtained by steam cooking sugar cane juice. A must!

Ginja

Ginja (or Ginjinha) is also a very popular madeiran liqueur made by infusing ginja berries in alcohol (aguardente) and adding sugar together with other ingredients. A perfect beverage to sweeten your day!

Poncha

Considered one the most popular drinks, in Madeira, this beverage is a must! Made with sugar cane rum, bee honey and lemon juice. It can also be prepared with other fruit juices, like orange or mandarin, but the lemon juice is what is used in its original, traditional and better known version. It is mixed with a tool officially created for this purpose, called a muskot.

 Nikita

Rumor has it that this famous cocktail owes its name to Elton John’s hit song: Nikita. Both came out and were stars in 1985.

Either way, this popular drink is considered a sweet, cold and exotic beverage that every visitor should also try! 

Nikita is made of ice cream (various flavors), sugar, pineapple rings, and an alcoholic beverage, such as white wine and / or white beer, all of which are well mixed until its creamy.

Vinho Madeira

Madeira Wine is also considered one of the island’s best beverages. As such Madeira Wine is characterized by its taste of caramelized sugar, resulting from the aging in wooden casks. The best tasting glasses are tulip shaped and average size in order to better perceive the fragrance. It is a unique wine, intense, sweet and fresh, which gets better over the years. Also keep in mind there are many madeiran wine variaties! But still an absolute must!

Coral

On of the local must haves, and it’s definitely worth trying is the local beer! Brewed by Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira since 1969, this is the beer you order in Madeira! It is made from the best malts of Czech origin, fermented and cured at low temperatures. It has a pale gold color, a clean, aromatic flavor, a body of light and a pleasant aroma, highly esteemed by locals and visitors alike!

In conclusion, as you can see and read, there are plenty of beverages to go around and much more to be be explored! Meaning this general reference will be a good starting point to any beverage fan! And don’t forget you can always come and join us, Madeira Food on Foot, and try them all during our Tours. Enjoy!

O conteúdo Popular Madeiran Food & Beverages: Part 2 aparece primeiro em Madeira Food on Foot.

During the first part of this article, we’ll uncover a few of the most popular delicacies off the Island in terms of Food.

Part two will then include popular Beverages of the island. Also please note that we will be maintaining their traditional names troughout the article, for cultural & gastronomical purposes.

And don’t forget, you can mix and taste all of these fabulous dishes as you please!

Naturally you can count on us to help you find out that special meal (Food & Beverages) during our various exquisite Tours.

Here are some of the Madeira most traditional meals:

Picadinho

The “Picado” or “Picadinho” is a traditional Madeiran dish, and therefore prepared in almost all of the restaurants of the region. It is traditionally prepared with beef cut into small cubes, fried and seasoned with garlic and pepper and accompanied with tomatoes.

The “Picadinho” is usually served on a platter being shared by several people, who dig in with a toothpick or a fork.
You can still find “Picado” made of octopus and squid, although the recipe and presentation are a bit different. 

Espetada

The “Espetada” is cooked on a skewer, and it’s a style of cooking that’s particularly popular in Madeira. Here, in Madeira, in its most traditional form, the wooden skewers are made from bay laurels (the trees that bay leaves grow on) which gives the meat a unique flavour.

“Espetada“, is then made with beef cubes combined with  the laurel skewer and grilled on wood or charcoal. Many restaurants have tables with iron structures applied in the center, to hang long laurel skewers in which broil the meat pieces. To accompany the dish, the locals suggest the Fried Maize “Milho Frito” and Bolo do Caco, traditionally baked on a tile or slab over fire.

Bife de atum

Tuna is one of the most popular dishes in Madeira, and is usually eaten in the form of steak. Tuna is a fish abundant in the seas around the island and hence have a strong component in the traditional cuisine of the region.

The Madeiran Tuna steaks are usually prepared in a marinade of olive oil, garlic, salt and oregano. It is served with cooked or fried maize, or boiled potatoes, rice and salad. 

Lapas

A Madeiran specialty, that is much appreciated by locals and visitors. The limpets “Lapas” are cooked upwards in a frying pan of their own and their taste increases when splashed with fresh lemon and butter. The typical Bolo do Caco is a great accompaniment to this snack. These are similar to clams, although they tend to be chewier.

Sopa de Trigo

This traditional soup is regarded by both residents and visitors as a must have, as it’s a great soup to eat during the winter months due to its hefty amount of vegetables. The recipe can vary from person to person, but wheat, potato, pumpkin, salted pork (heavily salted to preserve the meat, it’s a common way to prepare meat for long storage), carrots, sweet potato, turnip, and chilli pepper.

Polvo

Octopus is also a very popular dish here in Madeira, although it is not a typically Madeiran dish. It can be served as a “dentinho” or as an entree, a marinade or with rice.

Espada

The most typical fish of Madeira Island is the black scabbard fish “Espada“, which swims in deep waters and has a fearsome appearance, at least when viewed in the market. However, it is also very tasty, especially when prepared the “Madeiran Way”, with passion fruit and bananas.

Carne de Vinha D’Alhos

The “Carne de Vinha D’Alhos” is a traditional dish of the Christmas season in Madeira however, it is consumed all year round.
It is made with pork, white wine, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and left to marinate for at least two days. At the time of eating it is fried along with the marinade and a bit of lard. It’s so good you can even eat it with bolo do caco or on a plate along with fried corn.

And as we reach the end of this article, please keep in mind, these are just some of the various popular menus you can find in Madeira, but not the only ones!

As such we from Madeira Food on Foot will glady accompany you to uncover the most and the best of the island!

So follow us next for part two, regarding some of Madeira’s best beverages!

O conteúdo Popular Madeiran Food & Beverages: Part 1 aparece primeiro em Madeira Food on Foot.