The island of São Jorge, like the other islands of the Azores’s archipelago, is also characterized by its tasty typical Azorean dishes, whether they are meat or fish. However, it is in this central island, due to the abundance of clams in the lagoon of Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo, that one can notice a great inclination for the confection of clam dishes, which are highly appreciated among its people and by those who visit the island.
On this island, yams are even more used than potatoes, as a basis for the traditional gastronomy of São Jorge.
In sweets, the island of São Jorge offers a variety of sweets, many of them of conventual origin, from which the famous species stand out, whose name is due to the variety of spices it carries, the coscorões, doughnuts, olvidados, bolos de véspera (cakes of the previous day), milk cheeses and white sugar, among others.
However, the famous food product of this island and which is the symbol of Jordanian gastronomy is the ripened cheese, which is the great driving force behind the island’s economy.
The fame of the cheese from São Jorge is due to its excellent quality and flavour provided by the good treatment that the animals, in this case cows, receive throughout the year, whose diet is based not only on the green grass of the pastures but also on incense branches.
This milk product has been produced for 500 years and was introduced to the island by Flemings who once lived in the Top area.
It is also on this Azorean Island that coffee can be planted, precisely because of the microclimate of some Fajãs who allow it to be planted. Among these fajãs, Fajã dos Vimes stands out, the one where you can find a small coffee plantation with an intense and unique flavour in these islands.
Last modified: 16 de February, 2022
