Edwin S. Says:
I’m a vegetarian and considering a move to Portugal. Is it easy and/or cheap to buy plant-based foods there? What about the availability of organic produce?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Edwin,
While Portugal cuisine does feature a lot of meat, you’ll find it easy to buy low cost, high quality fruit and veg there.
You can go to any farmers’ market and take home 5 kilos (11 pounds) of vegetables for a few euro. In the hipermercados—the equivalent of supermarkets—it may cost 50% more, but still cheap.
Organic produce is referred to as “bio” in most of Europe, including in Portugal. There’s a little emblem on foods that have met the requirements of the EU, a green leaf with stars around its edges.
Larger supermarkets offer a wider array of bio products, including specialty items like gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and more. The selection for bio or organic produce in supermarkets is small, but the assortment of regular items is impressive.
There are a few smaller markets that have a more consistent selection, like Celeiro Dieta, along with others scattered through larger cities.
At local markets, goods are considered bio/organic because they were grown by a small farmer.
But while it is true they were grown locally, for the most part it is not true that they are chemical free.
The best way to be sure you are getting truly organic produce at a farmers’ market in Portugal is to get to know a local farmer or two who actually produce goods according to your standards, and buy from them.
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