Portuguese food may not be as common as Italian or Greek cuisine, but it certainly deserves to be. In fact, unless you’ve been to a Portuguese speaking country then there’s a pretty slim chance you’ve tried it, unless we’re including Nando’s (which we shouldn’t be). As it turns out, Portuguese cuisine has a lot to offer, not just in terms of variety and taste, but also in terms of its uniqueness.

From pairing banana with fish, to creating one of the tastiest garlic breads on the planet (looking at you, bolo do caco), this small nation has something for everyone. Portugal even offers an array of delicious sweets like pastel de nata, a Portuguese custard tart that is mouthwateringly good when fresh out the oven.

While we only visited Madeira for a brief spell in May 2022, we left with a strong urge to return, and a hitherto unnoticed appreciation for Portuguese food.