In anticipation of my trip to Portugal in November, here are 5 fun facts about Portugal that you might not know:

1.  Marmalade is the Portuguese word for quince jam. The word for quince in Portuguese is Marmelo and the jam you make with it is Marmelada.
2. The Ukulele is a Portuguese instrument in its origins. Portuguese emigrants introduced this Instrument to the Hawaiian culture in 1880s, influenced by the Cavaquinho a similar instrument popular in Madeira (one of the Portuguese islands).
3. In some Arab countries, Persia and Greece the word for Orange is very similar to the word Portugal – this is because it is believed that the Portuguese were the ones who introduced Oranges (originally from China) to these Mediterranean countries.
4. It was a Portuguese queen (Catarina de Bragança) who married the English king Charles II that introduced the habit of drinking tea to the English Royal Court.
5. The Portuguese eat more fish and shell fish per capita than any other country in the world – not sure if this is 100% true but, yeah, the Portuguese like their fish a lot 🙂