Flavours of Madeira

Drinking, eating and…ordering another round!

When in Madeira, these flavors are mandatory at the table – at least once.

Madeira Wine

As an aperitif or an after-meal drink, the Madeira wine’s fame extends around the world. Known for its diversity of grape varieties – more than 30, including Sercial, Boal, Verdelho and Malvasia – it is said that a few years after the discovery of the island, in 1419, this nectar was already being exported. It was also elected to toast the USA independence, on July 4th, 1776. And it is referred in the works of Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.

Poncha

This is another popular local drink. The traditional version combines sugar cane spirit, with lemon juice, orange juice and honey, vigorously mixed with the typical mussels. But there are others like the regional poncha (with lemon only), the fisherman-style poncha, which has sugar instead of honey, or the passion fruit or tangerine-flavored one. You should also taste the Nikita – with beer, ice cream and pineapple chunks – and the Pé-de-cabra (meaning “crowbar”), which has Madeira wine, black beer, chocolate and egg.

Beef skewers on a bay tree branch with fried corn cubes

It’s one of Madeira’s most sought after delicacies.

Grilled limpets

It is thanks to the sea water temperature in the islands of Macaronesia that this delicious seafood exists, well-seasoned with lemon.

Madeira-style black scabbard fish fillets

This fish, typical of the island, takes someexotic flavors when served with banana and passion fruit.

Bolo do caco bread

You eat it hot and with garlic butter. This type of flat bread is made of sweet potato, wheat flour, yeast, water and salt and it tastes slightly sweet. It is named after the caco, the slab of basalt stone it is baked on.

Delight yourself with these flavors, get to know Madeira and …

… Take advantage of our special promotion “DISCOVER THE ISLAND”!

Pack your bags and enjoy a deserved rest at Vila Galé Santa Cruz at a special price of €39 per person, including breakfast, access to the swimming pool, to the Satsanga Spa and all the hotel services.

Reservations must be made through the email Portugal.reservas@vilagale.com, madeira.reservas2@vilagale.com or at www.vilagale.com, using the promocode: DESCOBRIRAILHA;