Cozido das Furnas: A Culinary Journey in the Azores

Preparing cozido das Furnas is a delightful experience deeply rooted in the unique volcanic activity of this Portuguese archipelago, where regional cuisine thrives on geological wonders.

I stood back from the steaming, manhole-sized crater and watched my lunch being lowered into the ground. Next to me was Valter Vieira, the chef at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel in Furnas. Earlier that morning, we had gathered the ingredients for his specialty dish: cozido das Furnas, a classic Iberian meat-and-vegetable stew native to the vibrant, volcanic Azores archipelago, situated 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal. He led me through the main street of Furnas, stopping at the greengrocer for potatoes, carrots, collard greens, cabbage, and the famous Azorean taro, followed by a visit to the butcher shop, where he shared a lighthearted conversation with the owner as an assistant packed our basket with pig ears, chicken thighs, brisket, bacon, blood sausage, and chouriço.

Now, all of those ingredients were combined in a stock pot, which we placed in a volcano at a public park near Furnas Lake, known for its identical fumaroles used for cooking cozido. Each fumarole came with a sign indicating the family that owned it. The park attendants covering our pot had performed this ritual ten times earlier that day, burying it beneath six feet of warm dirt, where it would remain sealed within a 200°F geothermal chamber for six hours.

Furnas is a quaint town of 1,500 residents located on São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores. Positioned in the mouth of an active volcano, the entire Atlantic archipelago is bustling with geological activity. The nine islands emerged from the ocean several hundred thousand years ago and continue to resonate with eruptions, most notably in 1957 when Capelinhos, a volcano on Faial Island, erupted for months, displacing 1,500 islanders. Surprisingly, not all volcanoes have pointed peaks; many here appear more like wide valleys or rolling hills. Portuguese settlers arrived in these uninhabited islands during the 15th century and were caught off guard when the region around Furnas experienced its first documented eruption in 1630.

Flying through Portugal

Living in a caldera requires respecting its power while also harnessing it. Consequently, Furnas is recognized as the Azores’ premier spa destination, renowned for its mineral-rich, geothermally heated waters. The iconic Terra Nostra features an Art Deco design and is set within a sprawling botanical garden. Many hot springs in the town, known as caldeiras, are too hot for bathing but ideal for cooking. Some of the hottest pools in the town center remain open to the public for brewing coffee and tea or boiling eggs, sausages, and corn.

The most captivating regional dish, cozido, requires a unique method of preparation. Although it’s not hard to find, the way it’s traditionally made here is distinctive compared to other parts of Portugal. Instead of being simmered on a stove, the ingredients cook gently in a geothermal chamber, soaking in their own juices. Families closely guard their cozido holes, handing them down through generations.

While it has the humble roots of any boiled dinner, preparing cozido in Furnas can be elevated to an art form. Six hours of geothermal cooking enhances even the simplest ingredients, providing a distinct flavor profile and making the meat tender. At Terra Nostra, the tuxedoed maître d’ escorted me to my elegantly set table and poured a glass of flinty white wine sourced from the Azorean island of Pico, located 180 miles to the west. (Living among the volcano contributes to a mineral-rich terroir.) A waiter then presented the fruits of my labor, artfully arranging the pot’s contents on a gleaming platter, drizzling the precious cooking liquid over the dish, creating a cloud of steam that tantalized the senses.

Furnas Trip Planner

Delta recently launched seasonal nonstop flights from New York to Ponta Delgada, the regional capital, while Azores Airlines offers year-round direct service from Boston, Providence, and Oakland.

For a unique experience, local tour operator Azores Getaways can organize a cooking lesson for cozido das Furnas along with other excursions. Consider staying at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, where the restaurant serves this traditional dish daily for lunch and dinner.