Porto Seasonal Food: Sardines, Lampreia, Chestnuts

What is in season in Porto. and what to order when the market changes.

Spring

Lampreia (lamprey): The Minho lamprey season runs January through April and Porto kitchens cook lampreia arroz with the eel's own blood thickening the rice. A heavy lunch dish, found on the older traditional menus of Bonfim and Ribeira.
Savel (shad): Douro shad is grilled whole between March and May with savel com acorda, a vinegar-and-corn-bread porridge served on the side at the older Ribeira tabernas.
Folar de Pascoa: Easter bread baked with hard-boiled eggs and cured pork tucked into the dough. Padaria Ribeiro and Confeitaria do Bolhao both run a Holy Week batch.
New olive oil: Late winter pressing arrives in Porto markets by March: peppery Tras-os-Montes oils that go on toast at Cafe Majestic or over the spring vegetables at Almeja.

Sardinhas assadas: Grilled sardines define Sao Joao on 23 June and stay on Porto pavements through August. Eaten standing up at street grills across Ribeira and Bonfim with a piece of broa de milho and a glass of vinho verde.
Tomato salad with onion and vinegar: Salada de tomate e cebola is the summer side dish at every taberna from June to September. Tomato com cabra (with goat cheese) is the Foz upgrade.
Caldo verde with new kale: The Minho's couve galega is at its tenderest in early summer and the kale-and-potato soup with chourico goes back to lunch menus citywide.

Castanhas (roasted chestnuts): Charcoal carts return to Praca da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados from late October. Sao Martinho on 11 November is the unofficial chestnut-and-jeropiga night.
Game and caca menus: Wild boar, partridge and hare appear on the menus at Antiqvvm, Pedro Lemos and DOP from October through December, often with chestnut and quince.
Bacalhau season starts in earnest: Salt cod consumption climbs through autumn and peaks at Christmas Eve dinner. The Bolhao salt-cod stalls do their best business between October and December.

Bacalhau (salt cod) at Christmas: Christmas Eve dinner in Porto is boiled salt cod with potatoes, cabbage and a slug of new olive oil. Every supermarket sells the cod by the kilo from mid-December.
Cozido a portuguesa: The Portuguese boiled-meats stew of cabbage, beans, chourico, morcela and beef takes over Sunday lunches from December to February. O Buraco serves a working-day cozido in Baixa.
Bolo rei and bolo rainha: Crown-shaped Christmas cakes filled with candied fruit (rei) or nuts (rainha) appear at Padaria Ribeiro, Castro and Confeitaria do Bolhao from early December through Epiphany.