Porto's most typical dish, francesinha is said to have been created by Daniel David Silva, an immigrant of French origin who worked in a restaurant called A Regaleira in the 1960s. He is said to have revisited a croque-monsieur, a French sandwich, with more meat, more cheese and, above all, a tomato and Portuguese beer sauce.
The francesinha "little French girl" consists of two fairly thick slices of sliced bread, a variety of meats (sausage, beef steak, ham or cooked pork fillet), covered with cheese on the top and sides and a sauce made with beer, tomato coulis, port wine, cornstarch, milk and piri-piri pepper to spice things up. This sandwich, which has been ranked among the best in the world, can be served with an egg and/or chips.
