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Wise Pilgrim APPVegetarians, avert your eyes. Mealhada is the capital of leitao assado — roast suckling pig. The town's identity revolves around this single dish, and the restaurants lining the main road compete with increasing desperation for your attention. The preparation has been refined here over generations: whole piglets roasted in wood-fired ovens until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart. Even if pork isn't your thing, the spectacle of an entire town built around one recipe is worth absorbing.
Mealhada sits at the heart of the Bairrada wine region, Portugal's other great sparkling wine country. The local espumante pairs naturally with the pig. Basic services in town.
The Bairrada wine region takes its name from barro (clay) — the heavy clay soils that give the local Baga grape its tannic structure. The region has been producing wine since the 10th century but only received its DOC designation in 1979. The Baga grape, difficult to grow and slow to ripen, produces wines of remarkable depth when the vintage cooperates.
The camino leaves town along the highway towards the suburb of Sernadelo where the private albergue is located. The arrow for the turn-off from the main road is not easy to see but can be recognized for the Restaurante Tipico with its massive awning.
