25/04/2025
On April 25, 1974, Portugal awoke to the melodies of freedom as the 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 swept through the country, after one of the longest-lived fascist regimes in modern Europe.
As you can guess, before the 25th of April Revolution, the Portuguese diet looked quite different and Portugal was intentionally isolated, shaping its food habits.
𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹'𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (1926 - 1974), food was scarce for everyone, but rural populations, with fewer resources, suffered the most. The economy was kept highly concentrated among a small group of big industrialists, which was used as a tool to implement and reinforce social control.
𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 heavily relied on legumes (especially beans), rye bread, potatoes, and more fish than meat. Meat was reserved for special occasions, while codfish, the “faithful friend,” was a staple, prepared in countless ways. Soups were common but often lacked vegetables, and "horse-tired" soup offered strength to laborers working the fields.
Most families survived on what the land provided. Grocers sold goods in modest portions, often with reused packaging. Treats like biscuits were rare indulgences, sold individually. After 1974, efforts to improve nutrition began. Schools distributed daily portions of milk, bread, and fruit to combat hunger.
𝗔 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓 (1922-1999), traveled around Portugal with his Rolleiflex on his chest, continuously capturing the customs, the ways of being and his personal encounters. Her photos offer a very rich perspective of Portugal, namely during the dictatorship (namely his series about "Mundo Rural” - Rural World).
Despite his tremendous body of work, remains relatively unknown. But a recent book edited by , preciously compiled an important part of Pastor's work.
𝔸 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪!
All images courtesy of the Municipal Archive of Lisbon.
