When it comes to Portugal desserts, what's the first thing that comes to mind?
It's what comes to many people's minds: Portuguese egg tarts. Admittedly, the egg tart is indeed the representative dessert of Portugal, but there are many more desserts worth tasting in Portugal.
First of all, we can briefly introduce the history and traditions of Portugal pastries.
Traditional Portugal desserts and sweets have two main ingredients, egg yolk and sugar, and almond flour, which they use relatively rarely.
There is also a term here, which is doçaria conventual, because many Portugal desserts are made in monasteries and monasteries.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal replaced the Republic of Venice as Europe's largest sugar producer and importer. Portugal's sugar cane plantations spread from Madeira and Cape Verde all the way to Brazil, providing Portugal with precious sugar.
Until then, sugar had been considered an expensive spice with two main uses. One is as an ingredient in the preparation of medicines in Portugal monasteries and monasteries; The other is given as a fortified food to the malnourished and sick in the monasteries (in small doses, of course).
When large quantities of sugar began to arrive from the colony, the price of sugar fell sharply. At the same time, the king also donated large quantities of sugar to some religious groups. Soon, the nuns and monks began to make use of the sugar in every way they could, and as a result, the sugar flowed from the pharmacy to the kitchen.
At the same time, monasteries and monasteries also have a surplus ingredient, and that is egg yolk. The nobles, nuns, and monks of the time used egg whites to starch their clothes, and the remaining yolks were originally used to feed livestock.
When sugar becomes abundant, egg yolks have a new use, which is to make desserts. This is being practiced in monasteries and monastic kitchens all over Portugal.
By 1834, the Portugal Civil War ended and the monastery was dissolved. In the following years, the monastery land was nationalized and the nuns and friars were expelled. In order to survive, some monks passed on some secret recipes for desserts to others.
These people started making and selling their own desserts, and to this day, their descendants are still making desserts in the ancient way.
When you visit a pastry shop in Portugal, you are easily attracted by the variety of desserts, which may be dozens or even hundreds, which is dazzling.
In addition, every town and village in Portugal has some special cuisine, including desserts.
So, if we can only list some classic desserts in this list today, let's feast everyone's eyes~
Egg tarts
First of all, of course, we have to start with the egg tart (Pastel de nata), which is also one of the most familiar Portugal desserts. If you don't have a concept, just look at KFC's egg tarts.
These tarts are filled with custard sauce and topped with cinnamon or icing. Portuguese egg tarts can be bought in any bakery in Portugal. The most delicious custard tarts are, of course, freshly baked and must be eaten hot.
Aveiro soft eggs
The outside of the Aveiro egg (Ovos moles) is a thin shell stuffed with thick eggs and cream. It has a history of 500 years and has always been handmade.
The tibia of Braga
The tibia of Braga (Tibias de Braga) is indeed shaped to resemble a calf bone or tibia.
But actually, it's a lightning puff, but it's more mouth-to-mouth than a lightning puff. Traditionally, puffs are stuffed with creamy filling.
Arouca chestnut eggs
阿罗卡栗子蛋(Arouca Egg Chestnuts)是传统的修道院甜点之一。
Arouca is a small town in the metropolitan area of Porto that is famous for its many desserts in its own right.
Arouca chestnut eggs are made from 16 egg yolks, water, almost equal parts sugar, and almond flour. When you bite into it, effortlessly bite through the crispy crust, and then the thick and delicate mayonnaise fills your mouth.
Berlin Ball
If you're a fan of donuts, try the Bola de Berlim.
This is a Portugal doughnut made from a sweet dough stuffed with plenty of egg yolk cream and topped with frosting.
Dream balls
Sonhos are traditional Portugal doughnuts. It is usually consumed during Christmas or holidays, but it is available in stores throughout the year.
Pumpkin Dream Ball
Pumpkin is a common ingredient in Portugal's Christmas and holiday dishes, and many locals enjoy Sonhos de Abóbora. This is a deep-fried pumpkin ball with a sprinkle of sugar on the outside.
Chocolate salami
巧克力萨拉米(Chocolate Salami)并不是香肠,只是看上去像萨拉米香肠。
It actually originated in Italy, it's just that the Portugal loved it so much that they put down roots here. It's made from cocoa, Maria crackers, eggs, butter and sugar, all mixed together, rolled into a cylindrical shape and refrigerated.
Farofias
Farófias is made by boiling meringue in milk, covered with a custard made from egg yolks and milk, and topped with cinnamon.
This is one of the Portugal desserts with the highest egg content.
Egg pudding
Pudim de Ovos is a traditional dessert in Portugal that is often made by Portugal families.
It uses a lot of eggs, which are mixed with eggs, milk, orange or lemon peel and cooked in the oven. You can find it in almost every restaurant, but the taste may not all be the same.
Clime crème
焦糖布丁(Pudim Abade de Priscos)是一种蛋奶甜点,上面由一层焦糖。
This dessert can be found in most Portugal restaurants, and many families make their own.
Rice pudding
Arroz Doce is a globally famous dessert made from rice, sugar, eggs, milk and salt. Its taste is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with distinct layers.
Aletria
Alétria is another traditional dessert that is similar to rice pudding, except that it uses thin noodles instead of rice.
Cook the noodles with milk and egg yolks, then season them with orange or lemon zest, and when the noodles have absorbed the milk, they are ready to cool, and then sprinkle with cinnamon to garnish. Aletria, like rice pudding, is a typical Christmas dessert.
Bran pudding
Serradura is made by alternating layers of condensed milk, cream and biscuits. It is the same as egg tarts, because of history, it is also very common in Macau.
Cream of Heaven
Natas do Céu is a layered pudding made of creamy mousse, meringue and double cream, sandwiched with cookie crumbles in the middle and topped with sweet egg sauce. In fact, it is very similar to the bran pudding, only softer and lighter.
Custard
Leite Creme is made from milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon zest, and is topped with cinnamon or caramel.
If you order this dessert in a Portugal restaurant, they usually ask you if you want cinnamon or sugar, and you can choose according to your preference.
Meringue
Suspiro is common in pastry shops in Portugal, ranging from small meringues to puffs like large bread rolls. It is made from egg whites and sugar and melts in your mouth.
Camel's saliva
The name Baba de Camelo sounds strange, and the story behind it goes like this: a lady invented this dessert to entertain guests, but because the portions were small, she took the name so that the guests would not eat too much.
It is a mousse made with condensed milk, similar to milk caramel in Spain.
Sinterra cheese tart
新特拉奶酪挞(Queijadas de Sintra)是新特拉市的传统甜点,由奶酪、鸡蛋和肉桂制成,外层十分酥脆。
If you have the chance to visit Sintra, you can try this delicacy at a long-established local restaurant.
Carob tart
Carob tart (Tarte de Alfarroba) is a traditional food in the Algarve region and is made from locally grown carob and almonds.
Carob tastes similar to chocolate, so it's easy to mistake it for chocolate.
Almond tart
Almond tart (Tarte de Amendoa) is also a classic Portugal dessert. It is based on almond flour, wheat flour, milk, sugar, and eggs, and topped with a puff pastry made from almonds and caramel.
This dessert combines Portugal's favourite egg and almond and is therefore also a classic of classics.
Jesuits
Jesuitas are a traditional Portugal pastry, and there are many theories about its origins.
Many believe that it was invented by a Spain shepherd, who thought that the brown color of the pastry resembled the robes worn by the monks of the Jesuit tradition, hence the name. The Jesuits are made of two layers of puff pastry with a layer of soufflé in between.
Molotov
Molotov is a dessert made from egg whites and sugar.
It has a light and fluffy texture that melts in your mouth. Rarely, this is a dessert that uses eggs but no yolk.
Sponge cake
Pão de ló (sponge cake) is made with only three ingredients: eggs, sugar and flour, and it is said that you may need to add up to 8 egg yolks to it.
It is usually sold in whole and still wrapped in baked paper. You can eat it straight or garnish it with cream or fruit.
Napkins and cakes
A napkin cake (Guardanapo) is basically a large square sponge cake. Immediately after the cake is baked, spread a thick layer of sweet egg yolk on top and fold the cake to form a triangle – it looks just like a napkin.
Biscuit cake
The Bolo de Bolacha is a traditional cookie cake that does not require baking, and it is made using Maria biscuits, a classic biscuit in Portugal that can be found in the pantry of almost every Portugal home.
The biscuits are topped with coffee and then topped with a layer of cream made with butter, sugar, and egg yolks.
King Cake
Traditionally, the King Cake (Bolo Rei) is the main dessert during Christmas in Portugal. It is made from sweet bread, nuts, and fruit preserves.
Brigadro cake
布里加德罗蛋糕(Bolo Brigadeiro)是一种巴西风味的蛋糕。
Brigadero refers to a bite-sized chocolate candy that is rich in flavor, high in calories, and highly addictive. Cakes made with it are of course also popular.
Srikaya
Sericaia is a very moist cake made from eggs, flour, milk, and cinnamon.
It is also a monastic dessert from Elvas in the Alentejo in southern Portugal. Traditionally, it is cooked and served on clay plates.
Lamprey cake
七鳃鳗蛋糕(Egg Lamprey / Christmas Lamprey)因其形状像七鳃鳗而得名,它由50个蛋黄和大量糖制成,并用糖果装饰。 这款甜点通常在圣诞节期间享用。
Bacon from Heaven
Bacon in Paradise (Toucinho do céu) is a traditional monastic dessert made from eggs, sugar, butter, almond flour.
The name is said to have been given because it originally contained bacon, which was later removed.
Orange rolls
Torta de Laranja is a summer-style dessert. It is basically an orange-flavored Switzerland roll made from orange juice, orange peel, eggs, flour, butter, and sugar.
The best option is to use oranges from the Algarve, which are sweet and juicy here and give this dessert its soul.
Chocolate mousse
Chocolate Mousse is a dessert that is hard to hate, and Portugal love it. Chocolate mousse can be found in many restaurants in Portugal.
Easter bread
The Easter bread (Folar de Pascoa) actually varies from place to place, but it is usually round, with one or more boiled eggs in the middle, and the bread is decorated with two doughs, the dough and the egg are crossed, referring to the crucifixion.
God's bread
Pão de Deus is a golden bread stuffed with coconut. It can be bought in bakeries or homemade.
croissant
Croissã is actually the Portugal version of the France croissant, which is similar in shape but has some differences. The Portugal version has a texture more like brioche, often filled with various fillings, such as chocolate or almond cream.
The croissant has a dark yellow color, even orange, and this is due to the large amount of eggs added to it. In addition, they may also garnish with chocolate chips, almond chips, or icing.
Drunken pear
Pêras bêbedas are pears that have been boiled in plenty of wine, in addition to cinnamon, sugar, lemon, etc.
Homemade desserts
Doce da casa refers to the signature desserts of each restaurant. It is usually served in a glass, and it will vary from one house to another.
If you go to a Portugal restaurant, order their homemade desserts and maybe surprise you.
The above is the content of Portugal desserts~
Is there a dessert you'd like to taste?