Every autumn, in October, the town of Tomar hosts its traditional food festival, “Beans for Everyone, Beans with Everything”. It gives locals and visitors alike a unique opportunity to get better acquainted with the richness of the local cuisine. In 2023, the festival marked its 22nd edition, once again dedicated to one of the most important ingredients in Portuguese cooking – the humble bean. This overview takes a closer look at the festival’s menu and the entertainment programme on offer.
Participants’ Menu
Throughout the festival, 20 restaurants in Tomar and the surrounding area put on special dishes, with one key condition: beans must feature as the main ingredient or an essential component of every dish. Beans need to work in harmony with the other main ingredients – whether that’s meat or fish, seafood, or even dessert.
To make sure everyone has the chance to take part, the festival runs over weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as well as on public holidays and St Irene’s Day, as part of Tomar’s wider municipal food calendar.
Looking through the participating restaurants’ menus, visitors could see the full range of traditional Portuguese cooking on display. Among the dishes on offer were:
- the famous feijoada (stewed beans with various types of meat and sausage);
- stone soup;
- a range of bean soups;
- dishes featuring octopus, cod, eel, sardines, squid and pork served with rice and beans;
- unusual desserts – bean pie, bean chocolate cake, bean pudding and semifreddo.
Participation is open not only to restaurants in Tomar’s historic centre but also to establishments in the surrounding area, with each taking the opportunity to showcase its own signature dish. This gives visitors a chance to get closer to the region’s culinary traditions and discover a whole range of new and interesting flavours.
History of the Festival
The festival’s history stretches back more than 20 years. The first edition took place in the early 2000s, launched by the municipality together with the owners of local restaurants and other establishments. The aim was to showcase the full richness of Portuguese cuisine and demonstrate that beans are far more than just an ingredient in a traditional feijoada.
From the very first editions, visitors were able to try dozens of original dishes many had never even heard of before – everything from soups and meat stews to genuine seafood delicacies and desserts made with beans. Beans hold a central place in Portuguese national cuisine, prized for both their nutritional value and their affordability.
It is no coincidence that the festival is held in Tomar in October – this is also when the town hosts the famous St Irene’s Fair, regarded as one of the oldest fairs in Portugal. As a result, the food festival has become an integral part of this major autumn celebration, drawing the attention of visitors from other regions and countries alike.