Absolutely every person strives to bring something from the country he has visited. Sometimes you want to buy something as a keepsake for yourself, and sometimes you want to share it with friends and relatives, thereby giving them a piece of the country.
We are constantly asked what can be brought from Portugal as a souvenir. Therefore, we decided to write an entire article about this to help you.
Figurine Cockerel
Many of you may have seen the image of a colorful cockerel on postcards, key chains, mugs, magnets and so on. This cockerel named Barcelos is the symbol of Portugal. Its history goes far into the past.
Once, a pilgrim sentenced to death because of slander against him was a step away from the gallows. The hostess of the house where he stayed for the night accused him of stealing. The pilgrim rejected the woman and she decided to take revenge on him. When he turned to the local judge for justice, he replied that he would pardon the pilgrim only when the roasted rooster from the dining table got up and sang. And so it happened. The cockerel rose from the dead and crowed. The pilgrim was saved from death.
Three centuries later, a local potter from a village near Barcelos molded clay from the cockerel from this tale. The cockerel turned out not very beautiful, but funny and cute. The villagers wanted to have such a figure, and then his fame spread throughout Portugal.
Today you can find a cockerel figurine in any gift shop.
Cork products
In the same place where you meet the cockerel, you will find another important symbol of Portugal. These are cork things. Now absolutely everything is made of cork – wallets, key chains, bags and even sneakers!
The main advantage of cork is not only its unusual appearance, but also its strength. Cork things last a very long time, so such a gift from Portugal will definitely be unforgettable.
Many travelers are concerned that oak trees are stripped of their bark for corks. Let’s reassure you! After this procedure, the tree does not die. Moreover, the bark grows back and after a while it can be removed and recycled again. Cork oak is therefore a renewable source of cork material.
In Portuguese, this material is called “cortiça”. This is what wine bottle caps are made from. However, this has long become commonplace for us.
Azulejo
Surely you have noticed that in Portugal they like to decorate the facade with tiles. You won’t see this in any other country. Of course, we do not urge you to take boxes of this building material out of the country, although this way of buying souvenirs in bulk would be interesting. However, the Portuguese have long since created special souvenirs with traditional “azulejo” patterns.
By the way, many tourists are mistaken, believing that the name “azulejo” comes from the Portuguese word “azul” (blue). Coincidentally, it is the blue-patterned tile that has a strong association with Portugal. In fact, the word “azulejo” came from the Arabic language and meant “polished stone“. Who would have thought that the current symbol of Portugal was created by the Arab people!
Decorative plates, passport covers, pendants are stylized under azulejo tiles, and even cork and “azulejo” print are mixed, so you can buy a souvenir that combines all the symbols of Portugal at the same time.
Surfing
A separate culture in Portuguese culture is surfing. We singled it out for a reason, because for many, surfing is almost a religion. Due to the increased demand for consumables such as wetsuits and surfboards, Portugal has a huge selection of brands of these products. Boards are made in Portugal itself and at other factories in Europe, but wetsuits are mostly sewn in Asia.
In addition, due to the developed special philosophy of surfing, there are brands that open entire clothing stores for surfers. This is a free cut, a calm print, a bold style. In addition, surfers may need special slippers, ponchos for changing clothes, waterproof bags for carrying wetsuits, covers for surfboards, and much more.
So, such a thing may be of interest not only to surfers, but also to those who have not yet discovered surfing for themselves. Good people will have a reason to go to Portugal for the Atlantic waves.
Beverages
While some parts of Europe that grow their own vineyards boast their own wines (eg. Italy and Spain), Portugal excels as well. Grapes are grown not only in the south of the country, but also in the north.
Unlike knick-knacks, which can be stored forever, but do not bring any benefit, they only collect dust, a bottle of drink can create a holiday, albeit a short one. We will devote a separate topic to the drinks of
Portugal, now we will only list the most popular ones: vinho verde (green wine), vinho do Porto (port wine), ginja (cherry liqueur), beirão (liquor).
Sardines
If we are already talking about drinks, then we can add another edible souvenir – sardines. Of course, we do not suggest that you take fresh fish or its fried version from Portugal. In major cities, there are museum shops where you will find walls built from sardines in metal cans.
The year is written on each can. It is understood that the fish was harvested in that year. It’s funny to find a can with your year of birth, however, this is just a marketing ploy. In addition to sardines, other types of fish are canned, such as tuna. But the emphasis is on sardines.
There is another symbol of Portugal – the pastel de nata cake. We will tell about it next time, because we do not recommend it as a souvenir. It has a short expiration date and on the way it can deteriorate and spoil the gift. So even in the last moments of your stay in Portugal, it is not too late to bring a piece of it home.
Conclusion
Look, you can bring a whole gift set from Portugal – from gizmos for the soul to something tasty, or all at once. If you didn’t manage to get something in the country itself, then don’t be discouraged. Before your flight home, check out the Duty Free at the airport. There you will find everything that we have listed in this article.