What to eat and drink on Madeira Island:
Lapas
It is a mollusc that appears on rocks and is also a trendy snack in the Azores archipelago.
Espetada de Carne da Madeira
It appeared in the fishing village of Câmara de Lobos in the middle of the last century: loin meat kebab, cut into cubes, seasoned with salt, garlic and bay leaf.
Fried potatoes accompany it, mixed salad, fried diced corn, and bolo do Caco with garlic butter – in the right restaurant, it is a unique experience.
CACO CAKE
Made on a pottery shard, but it’s not a dessert – it works as a starter. Made with salt, sugar, flour, and water, it goes to the fire. Add garlic butter and return to the heat until cooked.
It does indeed have a unique flavour. The development of gastropubs and refined taverns has reinvented caco cake as delicious sandwiches, hamburgers and pregos.
Scabbard Fish with Banana
The browned fish is drizzled with a passion fruit sauce and decorated with fried bananas. It’s great; those who eat it never forget it.
Tuna Ventrecha
Marinated tuna with oregano, garlic and olive oil, grilled slowly in the oven and accompanied by sweet potato and green beans. Ventrecha is from the tuna belly, the fattiest, softest and tastiest part.
SWEETS
Madeira Cheesecake
Based on fresh curd cheese, eggs and sugar – with a velvety texture and intense flavour: a preciousness that goes well with a simple coffee.
It comes from the early settlement of the island when a group of Italians, in the 15th century, brought ricotta and sugar cane. Planting sugar cane was a wise investment by Prince Henry the Navigator.
Honey Cake
Based on dark sugar cane honey – with a deep colour and intense, nutty flavour. Although it is dry, the texture is rich – associated with Christmas.
The recipe originates from a Franciscan convent in Monchique in the Algarve, crossing Algarve and Berber cuisine. A monk (the 15th century) shared the secret with the nuns of Santa Clara, refined from generation to generation.
Honey Bread
These are small round biscuits made with sugar cane honey and flavoured with cinnamon – they make an excellent gift for friends and work colleagues.
BEVERAGES
Madeira Wine
Madeira and Port wines are the most famous Portuguese wines. During journeys worldwide, the wine was exposed to high temperatures, improving its flavour.
Producers have recreated these conditions by artificially heating the wine to about 60 °C. It dates back to the time of Prince Henry the Navigator, and Shakespeare (talks about the wine in one play).
And when the Americans proclaimed their independence (1776), they celebrated with this wine.
It is a fortified liqueur wine with four types: dry, medium dry (taken as apéritifs), semi-sweet and sweet that perfectly accompanies desserts and chocolates.
Poncha
In the 19th century, in the village of Câmara de Lobos, Poncha (Punch) was invented for the fishermen to gain strength and courage for their hard work.
First, add one lemon, honey, sugar cane brandy and lemon juice. Mixed with an instrument called a caralhinho. There are now new variations: passion fruit, orange, and strawberry. In short, they use a lot of fruit.
Coral
The lager beer has been brewed since 1872, with a light textured, thin body (5.3% alcohol) – tasting slightly different to Superbock or Sagres. For the Madeirans, it is the best in the world.
The same company produces the popular lightly carbonated passion fruit juice (Brisa) with new flavours, namely apple, mango, pineapple and orange.
Nikita
Another drink from Câmara de Lobos was inspired by Elton John’s hit “Nikita” (1985). With a pineapple slice, white wine, white beer, vanilla ice cream and sugar – blended until creamy.
