We started with the vague impression that "Portuguese Chicken" was a popular phenomenon in Montreal. We had passed the specialty restaurants there, but never stopped in. Still, when we got to Portugal we were curious to find this chicken. But beyond learning that they would call it "frango asado" (BBQ chicken) and that this would be prepared in a "churrascaria" (BBQ restaurant) we never did actually find it, except maybe once in a grocery store.

When we got back to Montreal, Sabrina responded to our interest in this chicken by ordering some from her favourite local Portuguese restaurant. Perhaps because we were not experiencing the drama of seeing the chicken prepared, that one did not make too much of an impression. But at least we were left with the knowledge that Portuguese chicken was well known in Montreal, and with the supposition that it probably was an invention of immigrants who knew they could never sell the "real" Portuguese stuff, which is bacalhau (salt cod).

That is, until the whole line of inquiry got kick started again, as we strolled the aisles of our unexciting local mega grocery store (Superstore). Here we found on offer beside the regular BBQ chicken, "Portuguese" BBQ chicken. And thanks to labelling regulations, we could look to see what the supposed "Portuguese" ingredient was.  This turned out to be "piri-piri" sauce, which is made from the piri-piri pepper (African birds eye chili).

According to various internet sources, piri-piri is legitimately a "thing" in Portugal, harkening to their former colonies in Mozambique and Angola. The piri-piri originated in South America, but was brought to Africa by the Portuguese, and from there it bounced backed to the motherland.

Surprisingly probably the most famous piri-piri chicken is from Nando's, which is a South African company, very popular in England. The Portuguese link is that the company was founded by a Portuguese emigrant to South Africa, who seized on piri-piri chicken as something easy to make. That would put Nando's in the same league as the Montreal chicken makers.

Back in Portugal, according to portugalist.com, "José Carlos Ramires, a shoemaker based in Guia in the Algarve, had opened a restaurant in but initially didn’t serve piri-piri chicken. As more and more people returning from Angola began to ask for it, however, he soon began to serve it, cooking his first piri-piri chicken in 1964. It wasn’t long before other restaurants in Guia began to serve piri-piri as well, and soon Guia became the piri-piri capital of Portugal.

Today, the small town in the Albufeira concelho, is home to even more churrasqueiras. It also hosts an annual piri-piri chicken festival (Festa do Frango da Guia), which normally takes place every year in early August. 

The restaurant (Ramires) still exists today, and is one of the most popular restaurants in Guia. Some say it’s still the best churrasqueira in Guia"

Guia? The gormless Grampies passed directly through Guia on Day 25! But as we recall, we were more concerned about sandy tracks and EV 1 at that point than going out for chicken. OK, we'll go back, though spicy chicken in hot August could be a little much.

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