Noite de São João: Ordering a traditional 'caldo verde' soup

🇵🇹 Portuguese switch from boa tarde "good afternoon" to boa noite once it's dark, and it works as a hello as well as a goodbye. On São João night the whole city is out in the streets, so you'll hear it everywhere.

🇵🇹 This is the normal, polite way to get a vendor's or waiter's attention in Portugal. Calling out com licença or snapping your fingers doesn't do the same job.

💬 Word for word, diga means "say" or "tell me". It's the polite way of asking someone to speak, and it isn't as blunt as it looks.

🇵🇹 Stall holders and waiters say this to invite your order. Just answer with what you want.

💬 The describing word comes after the noun: caldo verde is literally "broth green". Same pattern in vinho verde "green wine".

💬 Queria literally means "I wanted", but it's the standard soft way to say "I'd like". You can reuse it for any order: Queria uma sardinha "I'd like a sardine".

🇵🇹 Caldo verde is traditionally served with a slice of chouriço floating on top. Vendors ask because some people skip it.

💬 Portuguese often answers by repeating the key words from the question rather than just saying sim. Here com chouriço is simply echoed back.

💬 Tem here is the polite "you have", used for the person you're addressing. The question is the same as the statement, just said with a rising tone.

🇵🇹 Broa is a dense corn and rye bread from the north. It's the classic partner to caldo verde.