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Horta
By Maria Santos
The horta is the traditional Portuguese kitchen garden, supplying households with fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit year-round.
The horta is a cornerstone of Portuguese domestic life, a carefully tended garden plot where families grow tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, lettuces, herbs, and fruit trees. Found in backyards, allotments, and even urban balconies, the horta connects Portuguese people to a deep tradition of self-sufficiency and seasonal eating.
In rural areas, the horta often supplies the majority of a family's vegetable needs, with surplus shared among neighbours or preserved for winter. Urban horta movements have revived this tradition in Lisbon and Porto in recent years.