The island of Madeira is not only an exceptional place because of its breathtakingly beautiful nature, its special climate, and unique Portuguese culture, but also because of its fantastic foods and drinks, that have deep roots in the above mentioned climate, nature and local products.
During a week of holiday I had a chance to taste a wide variety of local foods, I’d like to introduce to you.
Espada
- or the black scabbardfish is the signature fish of the island. Many dishes are based on this elongated bodied, black skinned and very tasty fish that can be found in a very few places around the world. In the old town of Funchal, we tried the Espada Madeira style at Restaurante Cidade Velha, which included fried banana and maracuja (passion fruit) sauce besides the egg covered fillets fried in oil.
By the way, the black scabbardfish and they way it is caught is an interesting phenomenon by itself. As this fish lives in the deep sea (at about 1000 m depth) fishermen need extreme long strings to catch them. It was just recently discovered, that its black appearance is not the natural color of the fish, but is caused by the change of pressure, when caught and pulled to the surface. Anyway in its look it is not the color that is the most frightening: the long body, the big eyes and the alien-like large teeth are all signs of its deep-sea predatory life.
Passion fruit
It was already mentioned as a side dish for the espada, but there are many more uses of this highly valued fruit. The locals grow not only the round variant, but there are many hybrids, like the banana shaped. They can be found on the local markets, like the Mercado dos Lavadores in Funchal. Its strong sweet taste and fresh acidity make it ideal for all kinds of drinks, sauces and sweets - like the passion fruit pudding.
Bacalhau
As a Portuguese island, bacalhau - salted and dried cod - is also apparent in Madeira’s cuisine. Though we met a very inventive approach to it, when it was presented in the form of a mille-feuille, where the puff pastry was filled with a soft and creamy cod spread.
Seafood
As an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, of course, all kinds of seafood are abundant on Madeira. It’s the basic snack, wherever the traveller goes around the island. One can have an octopus sandwich in front of the sea in Jardim do Mar’s Portinho…
…or some fried shrimps or prawns in the harbour of Camara de Lobos, nicely served with fresh fruits.
Açorda
We shouldn’t forget about the soups either. Portugal’s açorda - a soup with bread slices, garlic and a poached egg - got a little twist here too. The seafood version, or açorda de marisco was an excellent choice on a windy, rainy day in Machico, when we got into the Restaurante Mercado Velho. Here the soup was not only heartwarmingly hot and thick, but had an explosive taste too with the king prawns and the herbs.
Madeira wine
No journey in Madeira can skip the island’s famous drink, the similiarly named Madeira wine. There are couple of companies and estates producing and exporting this rare and local type of wine, which has a closest resemblance to Port wine. A visit and a tasting tour in one of these lodges is a must for all visitors. In the centre of Funchal stands the visitor center of one of the oldest and biggest Wine Lodge: the Blandy’s. Here a small museum showcases the intertwined history of the wine and the Blandy family, the guides explain the different varieties of grapes and production methods, and the visitor can wander among the old barrels. Fortunately it’s not only for the eyes and the ears, at the end of the tour the wines - from the simple 5 years old, to the single vintage, 20 years old matured ones - are prepared for a tasting.
Summary
Through the week we spent there all the experience we got with restaurants and cafés were super positive. We tried to avoid the touristy parts - which is basically only the center of Funchal, where the big cruise boats unload -, and dine at smaller and out-of the track local places, and we benefited from the hospitality of the local hosts.
To sum up: the island of Madeira is worth a visit for its unique cuisine and wine culture too.