If wandering through Porto’s winding alleyways leaves you starving, or if you’re looking to line your stomach before a heavy night of local wine, there’s only one word you need to look out for: francesinha.
The francesinha (“little French woman” or “little Frenchie”) looks like sin, tastes like heaven, and delivers a caloric hit that will keep you fueled for the rest of the day. Served as a gooey, heaped mound in a pool of slightly spicy sauce, the francesinha is a sandwich only by the definition that it contains meat between bread. You definitely won’t be eating it by hand, that’s for sure.