A culinary centerpiece

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:00

Foodies and gourmands can take a gastronomic journey around all of Portugal by simply traveling a mere hour from Lisbon. Two weeks every October for the past 27 years, the gothic town of Santarém has hosted the National Gastronomy Festival, Portugal’s main culinary event. Located on the grounds of the former agricultural fair where campinos -- or cowboys -- once gathered to show off their herds, the National Gastronomy Festival features cuisine from Portugal's 19 districts, including the Azores archipelago and Madeira Island. Culinary connoisseurs sample appetizer portions or sit down to a daily multi-course lunch created by the district’s best restaurants. Both adventurous diners and the more timid palates enjoy offerings that may include: barnacles, wild rabbit with rosemary, mackerel in an escabeche sauce, pork ear salad marinated in coriander and olive oil, cod fish casserole, and carne maronesa, a specialty meat that's simply grilled with salt.