Portuguese Phrase
Tempere com sal e noz‑moscada.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener to season the dish using two specific ingredients: salt and nutmeg. It is a concise cooking instruction that assumes the food is already in the pot or pan.
When to use
Use this phrase while cooking, especially in recipes that call for a subtle warm spice, such as soups, sauces, custards, or traditional Portuguese desserts like ‘arroz doce’. It works well when you want to give a quick, clear command to a kitchen assistant or a cooking class.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Temperecomsalenoz-moscada
Imperative Mood
‘Tempere’ is the formal (tu/você) imperative of the verb ‘temperar’ (to season), used to give a direct instruction.
Preposition ‘com’
‘com’ means ‘with’ and links the verb to the ingredients that should be added.
Coordinating Conjunction ‘e’
‘e’ simply joins two items in a list, here ‘sal’ (salt) and ‘noz‑moscada’ (nutmeg).
Compound Noun ‘noz‑moscada’
The hyphenated noun is a single spice; it stays together and does not change in the plural.
🗨In Conversation
Tempere com sal e noz‑moscada.
Season with salt and nutmeg.
Certo, já adicionei o sal. Agora a noz‑moscada?
Got it, I’ve already added the salt. Now the nutmeg?
✕Common Mistakes
Tempero com sal e noz‑moscada.
‘Tempero’ is a noun meaning ‘seasoning’; the correct verb form for a command is ‘Tempere’.
Tempere com sal e noz moscada.
The spice is written as a hyphenated compound noun ‘noz‑moscada’, not two separate words.
Tempere com sal, e noz‑moscada.
When listing more than two items, use commas and ‘e’ before the last item; for just two items, ‘e’ is correct.
↔Alternatives
Adicione sal e noz‑moscada.
Add salt and nutmeg.
Tempere com uma pitada de sal e um pouco de noz‑moscada.
Season with a pinch of salt and a little nutmeg.
Tempere usando sal e noz‑moscada a gosto.
Season using salt and nutmeg to taste.
Cultural Tip
Nutmeg (noz‑moscada) is a classic spice in Portuguese cuisine, especially in sweet dishes like ‘arroz doce’ and ‘pudim de leite’, as well as in savory soups such as ‘caldo verde’. Because it has a strong aroma, Portuguese recipes usually call for only a small amount – often just a pinch – to avoid overpowering the other flavors.