If Porto’s Music Be the Love of Food, Play On

Shakespeare wrote some great lines about music being the food of love, but the love of food has inspired some beautiful poetry, too. In fact, one Porto chef’s description of a traditional Portuguese stew inspired Ted to make the dish featured in the video below–Moelas Guisadas.

The video is our first Facebook Reel ever, and it received a couple hundred views after we posted it yesterday. But Reels have to be short, and they didn’t give Ted time to credit his source of inspiration: João, the hard-working chef at a neighborhood restaurant where we sometimes stop for lunch.

One day, João described what Moelas Guisadas means to him. He grew up in a large family, and his mother made the rustic stew to feed everyone economically and well. “The smell of it simmering all day on the stove is my definition of home,” he said. “And the gizzards give it such a rich chicken flavor. There’s nothing like it.”

And then the poetry flowed. “It starts with olive oil, garlic and onion sauteed together, the essential foundation of all good dishes. It wraps around the other ingredients like a blanket.”

Like a blanket? Oh, how we loved that line. And if you appreciate good food and good cooking, you know João is exactly right. He’s pictured with Ted in the photo above.

Dishes with a history

Like Moelas Guisadas, other traditional dishes in Porto stem from “making do.” Legend has it that Tripas à Moda do Porto (Porto-style tripe) originated in the 15th Century during the Age of Discovery, when Porto’s explorer ships, packed with preserved prime cuts of meat and other provisions, left behind the less desirable parts, like tripe, the stomach lining of cows, for the landbound citizenry. (Read more details about this and other aspects of Porto on the colorful website, The Porto Life.)

Tripe, an affordable food rich in protein, is often featured on menus here, so much so that the people of Porto are affectionately called “tripeiros.” Have we tried it? Yes, and its chewy texture and bland flavor haven’t impressed us nearly as much as the gizzards have.

More to come

There is much more to say about the food … and, of course, the wine … of Porto, from couvert (bread and olives as an appetizer) to sobramesa (dessert).

But for now, let’s leave it with the gizzards.

Besides, I have some garlic, onion and olive oil to sauté.