Legendary “Stone Soup” from Almeirim, made with beans, sausages, pork, potatoes, and cabbage. Inspired by a friar’s tale of making soup with just a stone and asking villagers to contribute. ¹⁾

Eel stew simmered in a rich tomato, garlic, and herb sauce, a Tagus River specialty. ²⁾

Fishermen’s eel hotpot with layers of potatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs, slow-cooked until tender. ³⁾

River fish (commonly from the Tagus, like grey mullet) grilled over charcoal and seasoned simply with olive oil, garlic, and vinegar. ⁴⁾

Fried bread crumbs flavored with garlic, olive oil, and sometimes pork drippings, served alongside pork or game. ⁵⁾

A slow-cooked lamb stew with bread slices to soak up the sauce; a rustic dish tied to shepherding traditions. ⁶⁾

Grilled pork cuts marinated in garlic and white wine, reflecting Ribatejo’s farming culture. ⁷⁾

Stewed fighting bull meat, a robust and symbolic dish connected to Santarém’s bullfighting festivals. ⁸⁾

A bread-based dish with shad fish (sável) and its delicate roe, poached and flavored with coriander and garlic. ⁹⁾

Pasta soup with Tagus River fish, tomato broth, and fresh herbs – a humble, comforting fisherman’s dish. ¹⁰⁾

Charred bread rubbed with garlic and soaked in olive oil, often served with grilled cod or sardines. ¹¹⁾

Lamprey rice in its own blood, vinegar, and wine – a seasonal delicacy from the Tagus, rich and intense. ¹²⁾

Rice flavored with carqueja (a wild herb from Ribatejo), often served with game or lamb. ¹³⁾

A conventual sweet from Santarém, made with puff pastry, almonds, and egg yolk cream. ¹⁴⁾

Traditional Santarém pastries: long, sugar-dusted sponge cakes filled with rich egg cream, shaped like little whips (pampilho refers to the whip used by Ribatejo cattle herders). ¹⁵⁾