WHAT TO EAT
Regional and traditional gastronomy is gaining more importance every day as a tourist factor, or it wouldn't have been voted Cultural Heritage of Portugal.
Leiria's traditional cuisine, as in the rest of the country, is marked by the use of local products that give it great authenticity and refined flavour.
In the interior of the municipality, typical dishes are developed from the vegetable garden and its greens and vegetables, well accompanied by poultry and barnyard animals.
From the smokehouse, the Marrazes rice puddings and the charcoal-roasted negritos and lentriscas are famous.
But the "chanfana da Chaínça", "leitão à moda da Boavista", "bacalhoada com migas de nabiça e broa", or the "bacalhau com chícharos à moda da Santa Catarina da Serra", all complement the "ossinhos" or the "fritada de peixinhos do Lis".
In the coastal area, the sea provides most of the ingredients but, given its limitations, vegetable gardens and home-grown produce are also present in the local cuisine. This gives rise to magnificent seafood soups, grilled fresh fish and succulent stews, but cod is always a constant presence.
To finish, top it off with a treat from their pastry shop: Brisas do Lis; Lampreia de Ovos; Ovos Folhados; Castanhas Queimadas; Canudos de Leiria; Doce de Amêndoa; Filhós de Abóbora or some Bolinhos de Pinhão.
All well washed down with a precious nectar from the Lis valley, with excellent batches of wine from Cortes, Touria or Vidigal, part of the Encostas de Aire Demarcated Wine Region, and finally, indulge yourself with a precious milk liqueur.
We can't fail to highlight the "leitão à moda da Boa Vista", which even has its own festival, where the parish's restaurants showcase and serve the suckling pig roasted by hand in a wood-fired oven, just as it was done more than 60 years ago. Roasted, open or on a spit, the suckling pig is golden and crispy, with a unique flavour. This delicacy, so typical and traditional, is awaiting certification in order to continue preserving all its artisanal aspects, from the roasting methods to the type of suckling pig used.