Francesinha

History

The francesinha is a 20th-century creation attributed to Daniel David de Silva who, upon returning to Portugal from time spent in France and Belgium, tried to adapt the croque-monsieur to Portuguese tastes. In 1953, he introduced a sandwich with local meats and a custom beer-and-tomato sauce at A Regaleira, a restaurant in Rua do Bonjardim in Porto. The francesinha quickly became a popular dish, and although it remains associated with the city, it can now be found throughout Portugal.

Variations

There is no standard recipe for the francesinha. Different restaurants in Portugal have special variations, such as:

• Café Barcarola (Porto): Francesinha à Barcarola – A Francesinha Especial with prawns and shrimp;
• Café Ábaco (Porto): Francesinha de carne assada – A Francesinha Especial with roast pork;
• A Cascata (Porto): Francesinha à Cascata – A Francesinha Especial with mushrooms and cream;

The francesinha especial (special francesinha) is a francesinha with egg and/or potato chips. Other variations of the original include fillings such as pork, chicken, pastrami, tuna, cod, and vegetarian options.

Sauce

Francesinha sauce varies, with each establishment having its variation. The only common ingredient is beer. Most, though not all, sauces are tomato based and vary in their degree of spiciness. The colour is usually red or orange.

Regional variants

Francesinha poveira is a form of francesinha distinctive to Póvoa de Varzim, north of Porto, created in the early 1960s. The poveira form uses different bread and sauce to form a sandwich that can be eaten by hand.

Pica-pau is a breadless variant in which a steak is cut into bite-sized pieces and covered with sauce. The name pica-pau (woodpecker) references the traditional means of consumption with small skewers or toothpicks—making the diner "peck" at the dish.

Reception

The Daily Meal included the francesinha in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".

References

References

1. (22 August 2019). "Francesinha, a sandwich that will welcome you to Porto".
2. "Francesinha: Portuguese Sandwich Recipe".
3. ""Porque não chamar-lhe francesinha?" A história de como foi batizada a famosa iguaria portuense".
4. "The Best Francesinhas in Porto". Happy Cultura.