The mullet on shingle is a typical dish from the municipality of Constância, which has a close connection with the rivers Tagus and Zêzere, as it is where they meet. 

For the making of this dish, it is essential to use two shingles. After being seasoned with onion, chopped parsley and paprika, the mullet is placed on one of the shingles with slices of bacon on top and is covered with the other one. It is cooked on fire embers.

The former female convents of the city of Abrantes, namely the old Convent of Nossa Senhora da Graça, are the place of origin of the municipality’s confectionery, standing out the “Palha de Abrantes”. According to a traditional tale, the washerwomen from Rio de Moinhos had access to the recipe of this sweet speciality after gaining the confidence of the Dominican nuns, to whom they worked for. 

Palha de Abrantes is made with egg yolks and almonds, which are afterwards covered with egg threads slightly toasted in a very hot oven. According to popular tradition, the name of this baker’s confectionery is connected with the image of the straw which used to be carried from Alentejo to Lisbon, passing by Abrantes, at the time an important river trading point.

The river crayfish is considered by many to be a refined delicacy, although biologists and fishermen see it as a “biologic pest”. As the River Zêzere has the ideal conditions for its development, every year during the month of April, the restaurants in Ferreira do Zêzere take part in the River Crayfish Gastronomic Festival and make various meals which delight the visitants.

The largemouth bass and mullet roes are the stars of this dish. After being seasoned with salt and fried in olive oil, with onion, pepper, parsley, laurel and garlic, they are mixed with finely chopped bread.  

The visitors can taste this speciality in various restaurants of the municipalities of Constância, Vila Nova da Barquinha and Abrantes, which have a close connection with the river.

Shad panada is a dish that reveals the influence of the River Tagus and his tributaries on the region’s gastronomy. The fish is cut in fine slices and fried in olive oil, being then served with a mixture of bread, water, laurel and olive oil. Many restaurants in the municipalities of Abrantes, Constância and Vila Nova da Barquinha serve this speciality.

The Sopas de Verde dish, traditional in the municipality of Ourém, is made using the blood from the slaughter of the sheep. The “verde” (green) from the noun is related to the name given to blood mainly in Alto-Minho and Trás-os-Montes. 

The main ingredient is the sheep or goat meat, although other types of meats, such as veal, which is braised with various condiments, are also used. After adding the blood, it is laid on bread in a container with a mint branch. 

Stuffed Goat Sausages (“Maranhos”) are made with a lamb or sheep stomach, washed thoroughly and scrubbed with lemon juice. It is then filled with lamb meat, ham, chorizo, streaky bacon and rice. The filling is seasoned with spearmint, olive oil, salt, pepper and white wine, but there are various options depending on the area where they are made. 

In the municipality of Sertã, it is possible to savour and get to know more about this speciality during the “Maranho” Gastronomy Festival, which takes place every year in the month of July.

In the past, the Stuffed Tripe (“Bucho”) was usually eaten during the farm slaughter festival. Currently, it can be savoured in many restaurants of the region, namely in the municipalities of Sertã, Mação and Vila de Rei. 

The ingredients used change depending on the area where they are made, but the core elements are the same: a pork stomach, which is filled with rice, pork loin, ham, chorizo, chopped parsley, eggs and laurel.