Portugal has a long history of preserving fish. The method was introduced by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, followed by the Romans. Garum, a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment in the cuisines of ancient Roman World, was one of the first products that Portugal exported.
Conserveira de Lisboa, established in 1930 is an old traditional shop located in the heart of the city, two steps from Lisbon’s Cathedral. The store still has the original wooden counter, the shelves and the office. You can still see the old ads with original advertising from the 30’s. Their core is canned food, mainly fish, but also some other products like olive oil or traditional jams.
During war times, there was a lot of demand for canned food. It was cheap, easy to store and it could last for years. Gradually, this industry decreased because of modern hypermarkets, frozen food and also due to fishing quotas imposed by the U.E. (European Union). Tiago, one of the managers, told us about the new products, with different sauces, some of them seasonal. There’s sardines or tuna in olive oil, tomato sauce, chilli and even in curry! They have also squid, octopus, mussels, mackerel, horse mackerel and salmon. Here you can find their own 3 big brands: Tricana, Prata do Mar and Minor.
And after all these years of dedication in a family business improving the quality of their products… canned fish has now become gourmet! So, make sure you buy it at the right place, here.
