A humble but iconic dish made of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, poached egg, and coriander, with hot water or broth poured on top. A fragrant, rustic soup — with variations involving cod, rabbit, or wild herbs. ¹⁾

Made from crumbled leftover bread soaked in broth or pork fat, sautéed with garlic and mixed into a kind of savory bread pudding. Served with fried pork ribs or sausages. Deeply satisfying and thrifty. ²⁾

A traditional lamb stew flavored with garlic, bay leaf, white wine, and piri-piri, often served with slices of fried bread. A ceremonial dish in Beja during Easter and harvest festivals. ³⁾

While popular all over Portugal, the Beja version often skips clams and emphasizes marinated pork with lots of garlic, paprika, and coriander, fried and served with potatoes and pickles. ⁴⁾

A rich dogfish soup, featuring slices of the fish marinated in vinegar and garlic, then cooked in a coriander-rich broth with stale bread at the bottom of the bowl. Ancient and earthy. ⁵⁾

A lesser-known specialty: stuffed pig’s stomach filled with a mixture of rice, pork, mint, and garlic. Simmered and sliced. A rare but fascinating festive dish in rural Beja communities. ⁶⁾

A very different gazpacho from the Spanish one — here it’s cold water, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, diced tomato, cucumber, and stale bread — almost like a salad-soup hybrid. ⁷⁾

Pig’s feet stewed in a sharp garlic and coriander sauce, sometimes finished with eggs or bread to thicken the gravy. Served warm or cold. A testament to the “nose-to-tail” philosophy. ⁸⁾

A local blood sausage made with fat, flour, and spices — sliced and fried until crispy. Often served as part of a hearty winter breakfast. ⁹⁾

A cousin to the more famous “cozido à portuguesa,” this version uses chickpeas (grão-de-bico), along with cabbage, pork parts, and sausages. Broth-heavy and very popular in Beja homes on Sundays. ¹⁰⁾

A curious rustic dish with white beans, pumpkin, and “entulho” — which literally means rubble, but refers here to random bits of pork fat, skin, or bones. Intensely flavorful and peasant-driven. ¹¹⁾

A bold tomato and garlic soup, thickened with bread and topped with a poached egg. A dish full of comfort and character — often eaten in the colder months. ¹²⁾

Chunks of pork belly or skin, slow-fried until golden and crackly. Often served as snacks, but also part of seasonal pork feasts during the matança (pig slaughter). ¹³⁾

A conventual dessert from nearby Évora, beloved in Beja too — made to look like a loaf of bread but filled with egg yolk threads (fios de ovos), almonds, and sugar. Covered in a thin sugar glaze. Delightfully deceptive! ¹⁴⁾

Fried pastries made with pumpkin, orange zest, and aguardente, shaped in rustic rounds and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. Usually prepared during Christmas or village fairs. ¹⁵⁾