8 fun facts about Portugal you never knew - Google Arts & Culture (2023)

More than half of the world's cork comes from Portugal

The cork tree is one of the few native trees still found in Portugal and the country uses it to its advantage, producing 70% of the world's cork exports. The main importers of Portuguese cork are Germany, Great Britain and the USA.

Portugal has the largest cork oak forest in the world and it is actually illegal to fell a cork tree without government approval. The cork oak tree thrives in Portugal because of the steady rainfall, short dry spells, mild winters and the country's blessed days of sunshine, which provide ideal conditions for these trees.

Japanese tempura is credited to Portuguese merchants

Tempura, the bites of breaded, fried vegetables and seafood, is one of many gastronomic delights associated with Japanese cuisine. In fact, however, it was brought over by Portuguese traders and missionaries in the 16th century. Frying has been a standard method of preparing fish in Portugal and Spain for hundreds of years, with recipes for battered fried fish appearing in Spanish-Arabic cookbooks as early as the 13th century.

The story goes that in 1543 a Chinese ship with three Portuguese sailors on board headed for Macau, but went off course and ended up on the Japanese island of Tanegashima. Antonio da Mota, Francisco Zeimoto and Antonio Peixoto - the first Europeans to ever set foot on Japanese soil - were dubbed "southern barbarians" by locals. However, the Japanese were in the midst of a civil war and eventually began trading with the Portuguese, mostly in arms. This led to a Portuguese trading post in Japan, starting with firearms and then other items such as soap, tobacco, wool and even recipes including of course tempura which immediately became a staple.

The first Portuguese cakes were said to have been made by monks in the 13th century

Pastéis de nata are Portugal's favorite dessert and have been since the 13th century, when rumor has it they were first made by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon. The monks are said to have lived in France, where they were inspired by the delicious baked goods on offer. Need a way to use up the separated egg yolks they used to use to starch clothes, what better way than to rustle up some custard tarts?

After the Liberal Revolution in 1820, the monastery was threatened with closure, so the monks began selling pastéis de nata to a nearby sugar refinery. Finally, in 1834, their monastery was closed and the recipe was sold to the sugar refinery mentioned above. Three years later, the refinery owners opened Pastéis de Belém, which is still open today and is run by descendants of the original owners. So if you're in the area, make sure you grab one of their famous cinnamon tarts (or five) before you go!

In 2010, Portugal became the sixth country in Europe to legalize same-sex marriage

Thankfully, Portugal has come a long way since homosexuality was banned and punished with imprisonment under the fascist Estado Novo regime, although it's important to note that many other countries had outlawed same-sex activity around the same time. When Portugal allowed same-sex marriage in 2010, it was an important step for LGBT rights.

A year after the law came into force, around 380 same-sex marriages were contracted in Portugal and this number has been rising rapidly ever since. Portugal was the sixth country to legalize same-sex marriage and currently ranks tenth out of 49 countries worldwide for its LGBT human rights record in the Ilga-Europe Rainbow Country Rankings.

Portugal has its own genre of music

Fado music is a form of Portuguese singing that dates back to the 1820s and can often be heard in pubs, cafes and restaurants. It is widely known for how expressive it is and for having a strong melody. In general, in fado music, the singer sings about the harsh realities of daily life, balancing both resignation and hope. It can be described with the Portuguese word "saudade", which means "longing" and represents a feeling of loss and melancholy.

Fado music often features a 12-string guitar or two, a viola or two, and sometimes a small 8-string bass. There are different styles depending on what area of ​​Portugal you are in, and in 2011 fado was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Famous fado singers include Dulce Pontes, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Mafalda Arnauth and Amália Rodrigues (below), the so-called "Queen of Fado".