Experience programs

Cataplana for all

The word cataplana refers not only to the utensil but also to the dishes that are prepared in it. The characteristics of this pan allow a wide range of dishes to be created that are a delight for all the senses and are good for one’s heart, as the cataplana enables little fat to be used in recipes. Throughout this experience, you will discover all the potential of the most iconic utensil in Algarve gastronomy, learning how to cook a cataplana recipe.

Three types of bread

Bread, one of the typical products of the Mediterranean diet, is celebrated in this culinary experience. In the Algarve, bread is mainly made with wheat flour, and it was a cheap food that could be made at home. It is still quite common to find a wood-burning oven in the oldest houses in the Algarve.

Afternoon tiborna feast

Nowadays, tibornas are made all year round, but until quite recently, this was only done in the autumn because it was linked to tasting the new olive oil. On the pretext of testing the quality of the oil, people came together to celebrate the culmination of a long day of agricultural work with meals known as ‘tibornadas’ (tiborna feasts).

Morning tiborna feast

Açorda, serra style

The word “açorda” is derived from the term ath-thurdâ, which is used in the Arab countries of the Mediterranean. Açorda is a distinctive component of a culture that, within Portugal, is most evident in the Alentejo and the Algarve. Traditionally a winter dish, açordas are common throughout the inland part of the Algarve, but they are cooked all over the region.

Papas casadas (“Married" maize porridge)

“You can make maize porridge with whatever you want”: this is a sentence that is heard frequently in the Algarve and that explains the versatility of “papas de milho” or maize porridge, also known as “xarém” or “xerém”, a word of Arabic origin meaning “ground maize”.

A ride in a tuk-tuk

Tertúlia Algarvia and Far-Eco Tuk have created a joint programme of experiences that will enable you to discover the history of Faro and learn to prepare one of the region’s most iconic dishes: the cataplana.

Credits