“Arroz de Pato” (rice with duck) is a typical Portuguese meal, very different from most american food. Provided by: Francisco Franco

By Vasco Garcia

Since I was very little I heard how different American food was from Portuguese food. Now, as an exchange student I am confronted with different dishes, eating habits and customs from those I was used to.

Not only the food is different, but also the customs and traditions that come with it. Starting with the eating etiquette; the knife is an essential tool in the European culture. When it is not used it is considered a lack of education and respect. No matter which food is being ate the knife must always be in your hand and your hand on the table. “Hiding” one of the hands under the table or just laying it on the lap is disapproved by the Portuguese culture as well as putting your elbows on the table. I believe that all these rules and traditions are due to the fact that, at least in my family, meals are the most sacred part of the day. All our meals are shared as a family in our dining room usually eating homemade food and all sharing the same dish. We never eat dinner in the living room in front of the TV, because meals are our way of socializing and sharing our daily experiences. During about forty-five minutes each family member has their own opportunity to talk and intervene about many matters.

In terms of restaurants the differences are significant. Even though McDonald’s has many establishments in Portugal, I rarely eat in it, never more than twice a month. Besides McDonald’s, Portugal has Burger King and Pizza Hut as American fast food restaurants as well as other local fast food chains. However, these American restaurants are a minority because most places are local food restaurants which serve homemade food. In my case, most of my meals are ate at home due to practical and economical reasons. Another phenomenon I have noticed in America is the drive-thru option. Present in most Plymouth restaurants and very demanded by the consumers. In my home country, only McDonald’s restaurants and mostly the ones on highways have a drive thru because that is the single moment when people want to eat in their cars is when they are traveling. In cities the rare drive-thru McDonald’s do not have breakfast foods on their menus and where I live, in the city of Lisbon, people prefer parking and going inside the restaurant rather than staying in their cars. Most people do not move by car they move by public transportation, such as bus and subway because the prices of cars and gas are very high. The last difference in restaurants I have noticed is related to the “all you can eat” concept. In Portugal this concept does not have many adherents and only rare sushi or pizza restaurants have buffets, but the prices are much higher than here.

“The American influence on eating habits reaches all the way to Portugal, through restaurants such as McDonald’s or Burger King.” Photo By: Vasco Gracia

Besides the differences on restaurants, there are also differences on food itself. Americans have a different taste and relish other food than Europeans. For example, ingredients such as peanut butter and cinnamon are hard to find in Portugal. Instead, Portuguese people eat regular butter and jam. Personally, I only eat cinnamon with one typical Portuguese confection and that is all. Sugar is also not as present in Portuguese cuisine, while American dishes are much more sugary than Portuguese and have a lot more candies. In Portugal, vending machines were forbidden to sell candies at school while here most teachers offer candies of different kind to their students in class. There are also aliments that I eat at every meal in Portugal but that I haven’t eaten in Plymouth, such as rice. In Portugal rice is the principal food of our cuisine, it accompanies everything from meat to fish and vegetables. That brings us up to another another food that I eat very often in and rarely in America, fish. Since we are next to the Atlantic Ocean, my family eats more fish than meat, accompanied by rice, soup at most times, and finishing with fruit. To drink, I always have a glass of water with no ice. Ice is only used in the summer because of the heat, but never else.

There are many differences between Portuguese and American eating habits. If in some cases I miss my traditional cuisine, in others I prefer the American.