Broa

Broa is a dense, slightly sweet bread made from a mixture of corn flour and rye or wheat flour, baked in wood-fired ovens. It is the traditional bread of the Minho and Trás-os-Montes regions, where corn (maize) arrived from the Americas in the 16th century and quickly became the staple grain of the north.

Unlike wheat bread, broa has a thick, dark crust and a dense, moist crumb with a distinctive corn flavour. It is essential alongside caldo verde, sardines, and cozido. Broa de Avintes, from a village near Porto, is particularly renowned. The bread also serves as the base for migas and açordas when stale, embodying the zero-waste ethos of Portuguese cooking.