During my three-week hiatus from this blog, I’ve been doing all the usual activities. I’ve met a few people, learned a few words, eaten a few meals. There really hasn’t been much new to write about. Today, I’ve decided to jot down a few unrelated bits of trivia that I’ve learned or observed in the intervening days. Tidbit #1: I’ve commented in the past about the complete lack of salt on food. No salt on french fries in the restaurants or popcorn at the movies. No salted-in-the-shell peanuts. Rarely is there a salt shaker on the table. I’ve since learned that commercial establishments are prohibited by law from adding salt to such things, to protect the Portuguese population from high blood pressure. I think passing legislation like that in the USA would be shot down as “Nanny State” tactics and gross governmental overreach. Here, it’s largely seen as a public health initiative.
Tidbit #2 Sausage here is nothing like most of the sausage in the States. It’s a little more like German sausage in that it’s always in a sturdy casing and often sold by links. It’s highly seasoned and very dense. I’ve not yet discovered a variety that I’d be excited about having with eggs or waffles. One type did capture my attention, though, because of its color. I see these large, thick black links at the meat counter in nearly every grocery store or butcher shop. It has the pragmatic and expected name of “black sausage.” I’ve been asking around about what it is and why it has such an unusual – and I daresay – unappetizing color. It turns out that it is one of many products in the black pork family. Black pork comes from pigs who have spent their happy free-range lives foraging in the ancient groves of cork oaks. These, as my observant readers may have guessed, are the variety of oak trees from which cork is harvested. The pigs while away their days in gluttonous gobbling of acorns from the cork trees, and the acorns actually turn their meat dark. Black pork is a delicacy in these parts, and costs more than its ordinary pink cousin. I’ve yet to sample any of it, but maybe someday. If I do, I’ll let you know.
Tidbit #3 Because our temporary health insurance is winding down soon, we’ve been researching replacement policies. It turns out that we can expect to pay less than $150 a month per person for full coverage that meets the European standards and will cover us anywhere in the world except the United States. In addition, for $85 we can join an organization for expats in Portugal that will give us discounts on medical procedures (and many other services). We’ve been talking to lots of people about healthcare recently and are hearing nothing but raves about the quality of care at jaw-dropping low costs. Yesterday we spoke with a woman whose US doctor had advised she have knee surgery before leaving the States. She said she’d been reading about all the innovative treatments available in Europe that have come out of stem cell research, making many kinds of knee surgery unnecessary. Her doctor said if she had that option, he’d urge her to take it. Americans are lucky to have some of the best trained medical professionals and healthcare facilities in the world, but they certainly don’t have a lock on quality healthcare. Other cultures have found methods for developing pharmaceuticals and medical treatments that are not possible or feasible in the US.
Tidbit #4 Tim and I were curious in recent days to see advertising circulars filled with pages of children’s costumes – just like those American kids wear for Halloween. The gaudy get-ups started filling up the racks and windows of discount stores around town. Yesterday, we saw a big throng of very young children joyfully parading down a Lisbon street dressed as bumble bees, pirates, princesses, and super heroes. Our Portuguese friend Helena told us this is a long tradition as we approach Carneval, leading up to lent. There are carneval activities planned in our great city park tomorrow, where we hope to immerse ourselves in Mardi Gras – Portugal style. Bonus tidbit: Did you know that the word carnival has the root word of carne, which for many languages means “meat”? The term carnival came from the early Christian practice of feasting prior to the meatless lenten period. It literally means “put the meat away.”
Well, that’s about it for now. Stay tuned for a future edition of “Cultural and Culinary Curiosities,” with your host, Susan Darcy.