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Francesinha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francesinha
The francesinha on a saucy dish
TypeSandwich
Courseside dish
Place of originPorto, Portugal
Created byDaniel David de Silva
Main ingredientsbread, ham, linguiça, fresh sausage (chipolata), steak or roast meat, cheese, spiced tomato-and-beer sauce
VariationsEgg atop, different proteins inside, fried potato chips aside
  •  Wikimedia Commons logo Media: Francesinha

Francesinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɐ̃sɨˈziɲɐ], meaning little French girl or little French woman[1][2]) is a Portuguese sandwich, originally from Porto, made with layers of toasted bread and assorted hot meats such as roast, steak, wet-cured ham, linguiça, or chipolata, over which sliced cheese is melted by the ladling of a near-boiling tomato-and-beer sauce called molho de francesinha.[1] It is typically served with fried potato chips.

History

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Francesinha with fried potato chips

The francesinha is a 20th-century creation attributed to Daniel David de Silva[3] who, upon returning to Portugal from time spent in France and Belgium, tried to adapt the croque monsieur to Portuguese tastes. In 1953, he introduced a sandwich with local meats and a custom beer-and-tomato sauce at A Regaleira, a restaurant in Rua do Bonjardim in Porto. The francesinha quickly became a popular dish, and although it remains associated with the city, it can now be found throughout Portugal.

Variations

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Francesinha in Porto, Portugal
Francesinha in Porto with a fried egg

There is no standard recipe for the francesinha. Variations of the original include fillings such as pork, chicken, pastrami, tuna, cod, and vegetarian options.

Common varieties include:

  • The francesinha especial (special francesinha) is a francesinha with egg and/or fried potato chips.
  • Pica-pau is a breadless variant in which a steak is cut into bite-sized pieces and covered with sauce. The name pica-pau (woodpecker) references the traditional means of consumption with small skewers or toothpicks—making the diner "peck" at the dish.

Different restaurants in Portugal have special variations[4], such as:

  • Café Barcarola (Porto): Francesinha à Barcarola – A francesinha especial with prawns and shrimp;
  • Café Ábaco (Porto): Francesinha de carne assada – A francesinha especial with roast pork;
  • A Cascata (Porto): Francesinha à Cascata – A francesinha especial with mushrooms and cream;

Regional variants include:

  • Francesinha poveira is a form of francesinha distinctive to Póvoa de Varzim, north of Porto, created in the early 1960s. The poveira form uses different bread and sauce to form a sandwich that can be eaten by hand.[5]

Sauce

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Francesinha sauce varies, with each establishment having its variation. The only common ingredient is beer. Most, though not all, sauces are tomato-based and vary in their degree of spiciness. The colour is usually red or orange.

Reception

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The Daily Meal included the francesinha in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".[6]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Francesinha: Portuguese Sandwich Recipe". We Travel Portugal. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Francesinha, a sandwich that will welcome you to Porto". Food’n Road. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  3. ↑ ""Porque não chamar-lhe francesinha?" A história de como foi batizada a famosa iguaria portuense". observador.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Best Francesinhas in Porto". Happy Cultura. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Controlinveste. "As francesinhas à moda da Póvoa - dn - DN". dn.sapo.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Dan Myers (27 February 2015). "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

Further reading

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