Looking for a lunchtime shake-up? Try francesinha

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), there are in Porto 724 cafés and 38 restaurants, and, according to the President of Porto Traders Association, Joel Azevedo, the francesinha can be found on the menus of nearly all restaurants and cafés in the Invicta.

Every day, around 35 thousand francesinhas are savoured in Porto. Adding to a stunning million per month.

"The keenest to try on this delicacy are tourists", according to News Agency Lusa.

As explained by chef Hélio Loureiro, francesinha was first created in Porto, in 1952 by the creativity of Daniel David da Silva, who had worked with his uncle in Paris prior to his return to the Invicta, where he found a job at the restaurant "A Regaleira", located in downtown Porto.

The young cook literally innovated between two slices of bread as he transformed the "croque monsieur" that he knew from his working with his uncle at the Champs Elysées and added the fresh sausage, roasted pork loin, and as in the French croque, weighs the topping of the "molete" [a loaf of bread] with cheese and serve it with or with no egg on top of the cheese.

The francesinha is also the topic to many blogs on food and drink and it is praised as the "state-of-the-art" of sandwiches, like Culinary Backstreets or Buzz Trips, just to mention a few.

OK! Now that you are drooling, put yourself together and go for the perfect lunchtime shake-up with over 700 places in Porto to savour francesinha!