If the natural beauties delight those who visit the Azores, gastronomy and good food are not far behind. It is often said that in Portugal you eat well and in the Azores better!

Below we will introduce you to the typical dishes of the island of São Miguel, as well as the best delicacies of Azorean cuisine.

Furnas stew 

Cozido das Furnas is a traditional stew from the island of São Miguel in the Azores. It is cooked underground in the volcanic soil for several hours (about 5 to 6 hours), which gives it a unique flavor and tenderness. The stew typically includes a variety of meats such as pork, beef, chicken and chorizo, as well as vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage and kale. It is often served with cornbread and a glass of wine.

Bolos Lêvedos 

Bolos Levedos are a traditional (sweet) bread from the Azores. They are typically round, soft and have a slightly spongy texture. The dough is made with flour, yeast, sugar and salt and is left to rise for several hours before baking. They are often served as a side dish or with butter, cheese, ham, jam, among other ingredients. In recent years and especially with the development of tourism, the use of yeast cakes has become more diversified, also forming part of many recipes in which it is used as bread for hamburgers and for a wide variety of sandwiches in restaurants, cafes and bakeries.

Traditional Steak 

The traditional steak is a typical dish from the island of São Miguel. It is a well-known steak due to the quality of the meat used and is served with french fries and/or white rice, pepper and garlic. You can also find steak on horseback, it’s the same recipe but with a fried egg on top of the steak.

Alcatra da Terceira 

Alcatra da Terceira is a traditional dish from the Azores, more specifically from Terceira Island, although it is also consumed in other islands. It is a type of roast meat that is marinated in a mixture of red wine, garlic and herbs and then slowly cooked for several hours. It is often served with potatoes or vegetables, being one of the best known and most desired delicacies in the Azores.

Fried Chicharros 

Fried chicharros with villain sauce are a typical Azorean dish. Freshly caught horse mackerel is used to prepare this same dish as it adds more flavor to the dish. These chicharros are arranged, rolled in corn flour and fried in hot oil. The villain sauce is made with ground pepper sauce, garlic, salt, water, vinegar and smelling wine. For accompaniment, ground potatoes and/or sweet potatoes and salad are usually used.

Octopus Stew 

In the preparation of this dish, fresh octopus can be used, which gives more flavor to the dish, or already frozen octopus, this octopus is cooked with red or red wine and ground pepper. It is accompanied with potatoes from the land and/or white rice. The octopus can be cooked in a pan or taken to the oven. The recipe changes from island to island.

Holy Spirit Soup

Sopa do Espírito Santo is a traditional soup from all the islands of the Azores archipelago, and is mostly found from the month of March, the month in which the Festas do Divino Espírito Santo begin. They can also be known as Empire Soups. They are made with beef, cabbage, mint and homemade bread cut into slices and drizzled with the sauce used to cook the meat. Each island, municipality and parish has its own recipe.

Limpet Rice

This dish, much appreciated by the locals, is prepared with tomato pulp, chopped onion, ground pepper, parsley and salt. Says who proves it’s delicious.

Fish Soup

Sopa de Peixe is a traditional soup from the island of São Miguel. Not all fish are suitable for this soup, you should use bream, barramundi, sea bream, grouper and lily as they are the most abundant fish in the Azorean seas. The soup is made with sauteed onions, tomatoes, olive oil, lard, fish, potatoes and/or rice.

Clams from São Jorge

Clams from São Jorge are a typical dish from the island of São Jorge. They are produced in the waters of the Santo Cristo boiler and are made in different ways. Cannot be captured between May 15th and August 15th.

São Jorge cheese

Queijo de São Jorge is a traditional cheese from the island of São Jorge, in the Azores. It is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk that is aged for several months, sometimes up to a year. It has a strong, nutty and slightly accentuated flavor that becomes more intense as it ages. It has a yellowish/orange rind and a firm, smooth and slightly elastic texture. It is usually consumed as table cheese, but it is also used as an ingredient in many traditional dishes on the island of São Jorge.

Fofas da Povoação

Fofas da Povoação is a traditional dessert from the municipality of Povoação, on the island of São Miguel. These puffs are made from dough that looks like eclairs, it is a light and fluffy dough, filled with vanilla cream and decorated on top with a line of chocolate buttercream. They can be found in several cafes and restaurants on the island.

Massa Sovada 

Massa Sovada is a typical cake from all over the Azores archipelago. It is often used as a dessert at the time of the Feast of the Holy Spirit. It can be eaten alone or together with butter and cheese or rice pudding.

Queijo do Vale 

Queijo do Vale or Queijo da Paula (better known by the locals) is a typical cheese from the parish of Furnas, on the island of São Miguel. It is a cheese different from all the others, as this one is made with cow’s milk and sour water from the Furnas valley. When visiting Queijaria Furnense, you can see how the cheeses are produced and discover the five varieties of cheese, semi-mature, buttery, with thyme, oregano and garlic. It also has several sizes: 250g, 500g and 1kg. 

Pineapple from the Azores

Pineapple from the Azores is a typical fruit from the island of São Miguel. It is a fruit that is planted in glass greenhouses, it takes about two years from planting to the final fruit. These fruits are planted in land rich in organic matter. Each plant produces only one pineapple.

Queijada da Vila

Queijadas da Vila or Queijadas de Vila Franca do Campo are a typical sweet from the island of São Miguel. It is a sweet made with yolks, flour, lard, salt, butter and sugar, and sprinkled on top with powdered sugar. They can be found in any supermarket on the island, cafes and restaurants.

Queijadas da Graciosa

Queijadas da Graciosa are a typical dessert from the island of Graciosa. It’s a star-shaped candy with an extra thin pastry around it and the filling is made with cinnamon, eggs and milk. They can be found in any supermarket.

Dona Amélia’s Queijadas

Dona Amélia’s Queijadas are a typical dessert from Terceira Island. It is a sweet made from sugar, cane honey, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, wheat flour, corn flour, raisins and butter. The queijada is called Dona Amélia due to the homage paid to D.Amélia and King Dom Carlos who visited Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island. This queijada was based on a typical island cake. This product can be found in any supermarket in the archipelago.

Malassadas

Malassadas are a typical sweet from the Azores and they are. The malassadas are fried and are mostly made between New Year’s Eve and Carnival, being a tradition.

Bolo de Sertã

Bolo de Sertã is a typical cake from all over the Azores archipelago. It is a flat, round cake that looks like a loaf of bread and can be eaten both hot and cold. The cake is made with 3 ingredients: water, salt and corn flour. It is called Sertã after the name of the “frying pan” used to prepare it.

Ear Biscuits

Ear Biscuits are a typical sweet from the island of Santa Maria. It is a biscuit made of wheat flour, eggs, salt, butter and sugar, all of its preparation is done manually. This product can only be found on the island of Santa Maria.

Tea

Azores Tea is produced on the island of São Miguel. When visiting the island, you should visit the two tea factories, Chá do Porto Formoso and Chá da Gorreana, and experience the novelties and flavors that the island has to offer.

Pimenta da Terra

Pimenta da Terra is a typical spice from the Azores. It can be found as an accompaniment to several traditional dishes such as regional steak and grilled limpets, among many others.

Cantaloupe of Santa Maria

Meloa de Santa Maria is a typical fruit from the island of Santa Maria. It has characteristics that differentiate it from crops in other regions. Meloa de Santa Maria is produced in all parishes on the island. It is produced outdoors and there are around 14 producers on the island.

Se lhe deixamos com água na boca, a solução passa por visitar-nos na ilha de São Miguel. Estaremos prontos para vos receber e poder proporcionar uma excelente estadia e indicar-lhe os melhores restaurantes na ilha de São Miguel, onde poderá provar estas e outras iguarias da gastronomia micaelense e açoriana.

If we left your mouth watering, the solution is to visit us on the island of São Miguel. We will be ready to receive you and be able to provide you with an excellent stay and recommend the best restaurants on the island of São Miguel, where you can taste these and other delicacies from São Miguel and Azorean cuisine.