Viçosa also used to be famous for its traditional dishes, like gaspacho frio, açorda com ovos, sopa da panela, sopa de cachola, sopa de batata, sopa de tomate, sopa de beldroegas, sopa de cebola, sopa dourada, migas com carne de porco, pezinhos de coentrada, ensopado de borrego, cozido a alentejana, bacalhau or sardinhas assadas or the various types of sausage used to cook favada.

The town also produces traditional fresh, half cured and cured cheeses, and is famous for its olives.

Traditional cakes and sweets include tibornas de amendoa a gila, as filhós a as azevias, sericá (showing the influence of the Far East), arroz doce, queijadas, toucinho do céu, nógados, bolos fintos and many others types of sweets originally made in the convents