Portuguese American Food

Americans of Portuguese descent number 1.3 million. The majority of Portuguese immigrants to the United States have come from the archipelago of the Azores, with far fewer numbers emigrating from continental Portugal and the Madeira Islands. Other Lusophone populations sometimes referred to as “Portuguese,” such as Cape Verdeans and Brazilians, are not technically Portuguese Americans, and their distinctive foodways are not included here.

Portuguese fishermen were exploring the Grand Banks and Newfoundland as early as the 1400s. Portuguese immigration, principally from the Azorean Island of Fayal, dates to the colonial period in connection to the American whaling industry. Significant waves of immigration took place during the periods of 1870–1921 and 1958–1980s. During both periods, most immigrants came in search of economic betterment, but volcanic eruptions in the Azores sparked some of the later periods of mass emigration.