Although this is described as a Portuguese dish, it is also common to find this salad in Italy. We have entered it as a Portuguese dish because during our first mobility in Sintra, we visited a Samphire farm, and olive oil farm, this dish represents that particular day.
Samphire is a salt tolerant plant that grows near the sea. In Italy it is called asparagi di mare (sea asparagus), although I don’t think it tastes like asparagus. Samphire is crunchy and has a fresh and salty taste. At the “Taste of the Sea” we were served this very simple but delicious salad of blanched samphire with tomato and olive oil. Blanching removes some of the salt, which is nice. Mixed with good tomatoes, this is a very simple yet still special treat as samphire is not usually on the menu. It is easily available in the UK and Italy.
A Taste of the Sea