Canned food and gastronomy rarely go hand in hand, yet in Pinhais & CA., LDA , canned fish are, even today, traditionally prepared with the greatest attention to quality. Legend has it that even their preserves are the best in the world
Read the rest of this entry »

The Portuguese are famed for being major cod (bacalhau) eaters… and after having stayed in their country for 10 days, I can definitely confirm that this is not just a cliché!

Cod is always present on the menu. And yet, the Portuguese never tire of it because they know how to prepare and serve it in 1001 different ways.
Read the rest of this entry »

Our colleague Catherine Drouin-Audet, who has been working on the SOSCuisine team since May this year, is also part of the Women Track & Field Cross Country team at McGill University, where she studies Nutrition.

Catherine’s team, McGill “Martlets”, finished 5th this weekend in Quebec City at the Canadian Interuniversity Championships, and we congratulate her warmly for this. This result has been achieved just a few weeks after winning the Quebec Championship.
Read the rest of this entry »

Although there are some major port wine-producing companies, nowadays much smaller producers are becoming more and more prominent.

I was lucky enough to visit both types during my course; I visited Taylor’s, Quinta de Baldias and Quevedo.

Taylor’s is one of the largest port wine companies and it is also the oldest. It has been producing port wine since 1692! Quinta de Baldias and Quevedo are much smaller producers.

Read the rest of this entry »

What is most impressive at the Istituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) is the attention with which each bottle of port wine is inspected.

An entire team is responsible for sensory analysis and quality control. These employees ensure that each port wine is correctly classified and is deserving of its «titles».

.
Read the rest of this entry »

Port wine is normally drunk on its own, like a wine. In some countries, people drink it as an aperitif, while in others, it acts as more of a digestive.

In Portugal, it is served throughout the meal. Portonic is a traditional pre-dinner drink. Dry white port, tonic water (such as Canada Dry) a couple of ice cubes, a slice of lemon and voilà, the perfect cocktail for summer evenings!

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m mad about port wine… like many Canadians apparently!

During our visit to the Istituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP), I was surprised to learn that Canada, in spite of its small population, is the 10th largest importer* of port wine in the world… and the Quebec Province alone represents 85% of Canadian imports! (* In terms of quantity. Please refer to this document.)
Read the rest of this entry »