Mercado Da Ribeira (Lisbon): The fish market

One of the most well known sayings in Portugal is that “there are more than 365 ways to cook cod, one for every day of the year”. Bacalhau, the Portuguese name for cod, is of course one of only many varieties of fish popular in Portugal. This sea faring nation has the highest per capita consumption of fish in Europe and is in the top four in the world. The Mercado Da Ribeira in Lisbon is one of the main places to buy fish. The market, once the most famous fish market in Europe now boasts of a fruit and veg market as well as one of the trendiest gourmet food havens in Europe.

Sea food was my favoured choice as I toured Lisbon so it was delightful to finally trace the source of some of the seafood dishes I had had. The fish at the Mercado da Ribeira included sardines, which with bacalhau or cod were certainly the most popular seafood. Octopus, squid, crabs, lobster, barnacles, sea bass, clam, mussels, oysters and prawns were some also amongst the most favoured seafood in Portugal. Eels as long as ropes were placed coiled amongst many other fish in the market.

My only regret was that as my abode was a hotel during my short stay in Lisbon the chance to grab a handful of different types of fish to cook was not an option. However, this fish market is worth a visit, especially as it is in the same market as other attractions such as the gourmet food court and the fruit and vegetable section.