Taverns in “Serra da Estrela” region: an opportunity for gastronomy tourism or rural tourism?

The outdoors’ consumption of food and beverages but also the practice of commensality, happened in Portugal, for a certain period of history, in the taverns. Tracing this model back to ancient Mesopotamia, those facilities were mostly dedicated to the consumption of wine and snacks, known in Portugal as “petiscos”. As places to exercise sociability, taverns were relevant institutions of communities’ daily life. In Fornos de Algodres, Gouveia, and Seïa municipalities (Portugal), besides the alcoholic drinks and food, prepared and influenced by local foodways, they were important hubs for social and territorial cohesion and development. As the roots of the Portuguese “tascas”, they are now going through a touristic and identitarian recuperation process. The main goal of this study was to identify the main characteristics of taverns in the mentioned municipalities, mostly limited to the 20th century. This work was based on a qualitative methodology where bibliographic and archival research was conducted, alongside a questionary to identify taverns characteristics and territorial penetration. The results reveal that, at least, 157 taverns were open in the three municipalities, during the 20th century, offering - beyond wine and petiscos” - additional services such as groceries selling and media access.