Portugal

The history of food and cookery in Portugal, as in neighbouring spain, was successively influenced by being in the Roman Empire for seven centuries; by the Arab invasion and continuing presence in early medieval times; by having a leading role in the voyages of the early European explorers in pursuit of spices; to some extent by Portuguese colonization of parts of Africa and the orient; and certainly by the columbian exchange which followed the ‘discovery’ of the Americas and which led to Portugal having important possessions there, notably Brazil.