Porto is our city, in which we take immense pride. Famous in every corner of the world with a wealth of distinctions, what really sets us apart is our essence. In this corner full of history, it’ s worth asking: Why are we called tripeiros?
To address this issue, we need to go back in time. But before that, you should already know that Tripas is, by tradition, the emblematic dish of Invicta. But why do we eat tripe? The truth is that this is a centuries-old dish and, with it, comes the ‘nickname’ by which the people of Porto are known all over the country.
The legend of the tripeiros
According to history, the Tripas dish dates back to 1415, at the time of King João I. At that time, the monarch’s goal was to conquer Ceuta. For this reason, he was secretly preparing a great maritime expedition and had the support of his two sons, Infantes D. Henrique and D. Pedro. Pedro. In order to prepare a powerful armada, Henry was responsible for supervising the preparations in the Douro and Peter in the Tagus. Pedro on the Tagus.
The choice of Prince Henry to come to Porto was no accident. After all, the king had a good relationship and a lot of respect for the city and the people of Porto, due to the support they gave him when he took the throne. Thus, King João I made a point not only of marrying in the city, but also of having the Infante born here. As a result, Henry was also an illustrious native of Porto.
Origin of Tripas à Moda do Porto
The city, which showed equal respect and appreciation for the King and Infante, despite not knowing the reason for the large ships and activities on the Douro, lent itself to royalty, as was customary. Thus, it pooled all its efforts to contribute to the construction of the ships and donated all its foodstuffs to the Infante.
As legend has it, after this donation, the city was left with only “the offal”, which forced the people of Porto to get creative and create dishes with tripe. Hence the “Tripas à moda do Porto”.
This dish became so iconic that people from Porto came to be called Tripeiros. This, then, is a nickname that very much portrays the drive and personality of the people of Porto!