Top 5 Sal Food & Drink: Island Eats & Treats Reviewed
Sal, Cape Verde is that island which just might be your next vacation destination, so you might as well get familiar with some really fantastic eats and drinks! Let’s talk about five great culinary gems you can find over there. They all come recommended for someone looking to taste what Sal has on offer. You might like a tasty seafood dish or a nice, refreshing drink – Sal really has a variety just about ready for anyone.
1. Seafood at Restaurante Ponta Preta
Okay, Restaurante Ponta Preta – that is basically right on Ponta Preta beach, which might be quite well-known for windsurfing – serves just such mouthwatering seafood dishes here. The restaurant itself, arguably, is just very relaxed, almost laid-back. Imagine yourself sitting there, you know, with your feet sort of in the sand, just gazing off at the Atlantic Ocean. And the menu? It tends to feature what is fresh from the day’s catch, actually. Think grilled lobster, perhaps some flavorful tuna steaks, too some traditionally made Cape Verdean seafood stews that, too, is sure to have you savoring every bite. The flavors? I mean, they are simple, yet surprisingly rich; they allow that quality of the seafood to truly shine through, by the way. Seriously!
2. Cachupa: Cape Verde’s National Dish
Right, so you can’t go to Cape Verde without actually trying Cachupa! Now, this very hearty stew – sometimes, actually it is called the national dish of Cape Verde – comes chock-full of beans, corn, meats which might be things like sausage, beef, or even pork. Honestly, every family really, has that version, their take of the recipe passed down through generations, just so. So the dish ends up showing regional influences! When you get yours it can vary; it could be thick almost like a soup, too it’s drier, very much like a casserole. What it will be doing, though, clearly it will stick with you just for how comforting the savory flavors can be! Try to find a local restaurant – that auntie is serving hers, yet you’ll often find that a restaurant will have put a bit of spin, it being gourmet, so it goes!
3. Grogue: The Island’s Spirit
Let’s have a Grogue, so, that could be the definitive experience as the ‘island spirit.’ Basically, it’s that rum distilled from sugar cane right in Cape Verde, that often packs that alcoholic punch which can make your hair stand up almost; you really might not want it, basically – yet it is worth the tasting, clearly to say you had, very similar to something regional like Scotch or Grappa. Very locally made Grogue is something quite rough, seemingly more suited for fishermen or hard drinkers of an early rising era. However, arguably now it is starting to go upscale. See, some bars make it very well, you see, when using infusions with local fruits/honey; what this means, they sort of smooth it as a shot to go down easy! What you’ll realize after taking that tiny sample? Likely it could warm those insides, arguably giving that Cap Verde version to things! If you get it distilled, aged that would cost you extra! So look closely, as well as ask a local to recommend where to find it.
4. Pastel com Atum: A Savory Pastry
Oh, the Pastel com Atum: such quite a simple snack might become just a local’s daily treat almost – so if you’ve only had croissants before, prepare just for a twist! It could feature flaky dough (a little buttery in taste); this hides that spiced tuna filling right inside. Very similar to the Spanish ’empanada’, so imagine tasting fresh tuna combined just with olives, onions/perhaps some tomato hint here and there as seasonings come almost just from locally grown herbs, you know? Get some if you get to street vendors there. It really comes quite hot, too so tasty to get; in fact, you might think that very breakfast just became very good lunch as it goes! That feeling?
5. Canja de Galinha: Comfort in a Bowl
Here’s Canja de Galinha that is, essentially, comfort, very warm almost that comes out, you see from a simple bowl. Almost, that seems to be a very well known chicken soup, just about, just made quite in its Cap Verdean form. Expect seeing rice, a tender chicken that just about is shred; it’s all just simmered down gently just in chicken broth so nutritious actually! When one visits somebody locally there, I suspect just they can have some as somebody recovers, or basically the child just having, too, a meal so soft. You could feel this soup will have just that heartwarming sense right; you sense yourself home even basically on Sal, honestly! See? Each region will have, of course, just slight differences with taste profiles seemingly leaning so different: perhaps somebody’s might mix local herbs within actually where somebody uses a hint that will just be lemon so, too. Whatever type just you receive just see this serving given: cherish quite a time almost just for savoring!