Francesinha is the Portuguese sandwich you really want to try (and here’s where to eat the best one)
Bifana, Portugal’s national sandwich, may already be familiar to you. A delicious sandwich filled with warm meat. And if you like that, you’ll definitely want to try Francesinha. This is the Portuguese must-eat sandwich of the moment. What can you expect, and where can you eat the best one?
Almost every city has its own culinary qualities, but Porto has one that may well be our favourite: Francesinha. A monster of a sandwich that conquers hearts (and stomachs…) every day.
Francesinha
Portuguese Francesinha, which means “little French girl”, is misleading in every way. First, this sandwich isn’t French in origin, and second, it isn’t really small either.. In fact, it’s a hefty sandwich with sausage, steak and ham in the middle, covered with melted cheese and a special (slightly spicy) tomato sauce – ‘special’ because it contains beer – and topped with a fried egg. The sandwich is served with fries for soaking up the sauce.
So is there really nothing French about it? Yes, there is. Francesinha first saw the light of day in 1953, when Daniel da Silva returned to Porto after working in France and Belgium for several years. He created Francesinha as a Portuguese ode to the French croque monsieur.
The hangover doesn’t come later
Fortunately, you don’t have to go all the way to Porto for an incredibly delicious Francesinha, because you can also try one in Amsterdam, at ARCA Bar, located in the art’otel. Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa delighted us a few years ago with his brioche bun with crispy pork. And now there’s Francesinha. In Portugal, the monster sandwich is traditionally eaten as a ‘snack’ before going out, to prevent a hangover the next day. An idea for this weekend?
You can order Francesinha at ARCA Bar during lunch and in the evening.
Also read:
- Recipe: wow, these babi pangang sandwiches are delicious
- An ode to the sausage roll
- These are the 50 best sandwiches in Europe
