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16 | Portugal River Voyage Guide From the smoky sensation of a grilled sardine to your first bite of a cinnamon-scented custard tart, eating your way around Portugal is a magical mystery tour for all the senses. And because the charming historic cities of Lisbon and Porto have kept faith with their traditional foods, even a simple dish for lunch tells its own story, like an edible postcard. Here we've chosen just five dishes that evoke the history, the splendour and the vitality of Portugal, and the energy and appetite of its people. Obrigada (thank you), Portugal, and mais, por favor (more, please!). THE FRANCESINHA Take time out to find this magnificent multi- layered sandwich in Porto, first created in 1953 as the local answer to France's croque-monsieur. The word 'hearty' was invented for its layers of cured meats, cheese and linguica (smoked Portuguese sausage), and a spicy tomato and beer sauce. Take it at a traditional tasca (family- run bar), or go for the quality-and-comfort option at Brasao Cervejaria Aliados, where it is cooked in the wood-fired oven, topped with an egg and oozing with cheese - a gastronomic challenge, ready to conquer. brasao.pt/pt/ GRILLED SARDINES Since Roman times, the vast Atlantic coastline of Portugal has been renowned for its small, silvery, oily-fleshed sardines. For the most atmospheric eating experience in Lisbon, find a terrace (pateo) restaurant with an outdoor grill in the historic Alfama district, with its maze of tiny narrow alleys and tiny fado bars. Order sardinhas grelhadas (grilled sardines), wreathed in seductive tendrils of smoke, a cold beer and a colourful Portuguese salad of grilled capsicum, potato and tomato, for one of the best barbecues of your life. Pateo 13, Calçadinha de Santo Estevão, 13, Alfama. FR A NC ESINH A ME A L Renowned food critics Jill Dupleix and Terry Durack take you on a culinary journey of Portugal highlighting the unmissable dishes and where to try them PORTUGAL BY PLATE