The PA Melting Pot: THE PA MELTING POT: Western Europeans: 8-2 The Basques and the Portuguese Recipes, Links and Videos

A look at the evolution of food in southwestern Pennsylvania – WESTERN EUROPEANS: Part 8 – 2 - The Basques and the Portuguese

I have combined three cultures in this column due to their proximities, cuisines and early reasons for immigrating to the United States (whalers, fishermen and sailors): Spanish & French Basques and the Portuguese.

The Basques

Around 200 BC there was a country formed called Basque. They spoke a language called Euskera. Immigration records had to be inaccurate when the first Basques (1400) came to the US because they didn’t speak French, Spanish and were from an unknown country which got split in half by the newer borders of France and Spain. Later they began speaking French in SW France and Spanish in northern Spain. Their Euskera language and their original country disappeared. There are also many Basque communities out west in the US.

Their cuisines have had an impact on western PA cuisine as you will see even though it is difficult to get any numbers on the Basque immigration. The sophisticated cuisines of France and Spain were simplified into an early peasant cuisine but became more sophisticated as time went on.

Now in western PA you can easily find paella, chicken & rice, tomato sauce (beef stock, red wine and mushrooms), Ezkualdun Itarrak (pork and beans), Gazpacho (chilled tomato soup), Spanish omelet, Spanish Salad (red kidney beans, onion, green pepper, hard-boiled eggs & seasonings), Seafood stew (like Italian cioppino), frijoles (pinto beans), chili con carne, sponge cake (flavored), Bistek Ranchero (T-bone, onion, butter, tomato, jalapeno & spices), Huevos al Rabo de Mestiza (salsa served on tortillas over cheesy fried egg) and finally Arroz Doce (rice pudding).

Some beverages include Txakoli wine and Basque cider.

Spanish restaurants in Pittsburgh, PA

http://www.morcillapittsburgh.com/

https://mallorcarestaurant.com/

The Portuguese

The first Portuguese immigrants (1511) were sailors and whalers looking for work along the eastern coast of the US. The first were Jewish. More came in 1849 for the CA gold rush and in 1910 Roman Catholics came when the Portuguese monarchy collapsed. 1958-1980 and on a very large contingent came. They were creative and thrifty.

Their cuisine consists of hearty & bread soups, sausages like linquica (made from pork butt and and seasonings), baked dishes and egg-rich baked goods. They brought Mediterranean spices, herbs and special cooking and pickling methods.

They use dried salt cod in many of their dishes such as Bacalhau (codfish cakes) and Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa (codfish casserole). Many meat dishes (roasted chicken or catalana) use piri piri (hot oil sauce made with dried red peppers, herbs, spices whiskey, olive and vegetable oils).

Breads include cornbread made with white cornmeal and two flours, Massa Sovada (round sweet bread), Pao Doce (sweet loaf bread) and malassadas (deep fried sweet doughnuts).

Other dishes include soup made with beans, onions, and sausage, steamed clams, escargot with butter sauce and Caldo Verde (soup made with potatoes, kale and linquica).

Commonly popular with the Spanish, Portuguese and Basques is Pil Pil (dried codfish with garlic mayo).

Beverages include Porto and Madiera wine.

There is a Portuguese Restaurant in Shadyside, Pittsburgh. Café Zinho.

No website but on Facebook

FOOD AND INFORMATIONAL LINKS AND VIDEOS BELOW

PHOTOS OF FOOD FOR EACH COUNTRY

BASQUE: