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Touring overseas to an ideal meals vacation spot like Lisbon requires extra than simply sampling their superb wine bars and cafes. It’s additionally a first-rate alternative to sink your tooth into a few of the finest desserts in all of Portugal.
Portuguese delicacies has some conventional desserts shared by different nice European meals cultures. Then additionally they have some delicacies which are really distinctive to Portuguese pastries.
There’s so much to select from, and it’s arduous to know what locations are providing the most effective of the most effective. So, I believed I’d provide you with a bit primer on Portuguese desserts to be sure to don’t miss a mouthwatering chunk in your subsequent Lisbon meals tour.
Pastel de Nata
Pastel de nata are custard tarts you’ll find in nearly any pastry store in Lisbon. They’re a particular kind of tart made out of laminated layers of pastry dough, stuffed with a creamy wealthy custard. The highest is then calmly browned in a manner that’s paying homage to a crème brulée with out having an precise crisp shell.
The finest pastéis de nata have a custard made out of a base of egg yolks, sugar, and entire milk. I desire those with an essence of vanilla or infused with lemon zest. The added lilt within the custard is ideal for accentuating the flavors of a black espresso or a vanilla latte.
My favourite place for pastéis de nata is Pastéis de Belém. They use a recipe that may be traced again to Jerónimos Monastery. I like how the tart shell is completely crisp, and the custard is elegantly easy.
Pastel de Belém €€ – Rua de Belém 84-92, 1300-085 Lisbon, Portugal – Open every day 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Arroz Doce
Arroz Doce is a high-end Portuguese rice pudding that’s typically infused with different flavors like cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon zest. Simply don’t make the error of considering that is the gloopy rice pudding your grandma used to make.
Portuguese arroz doce is made utilizing short-grain rice, which supplies it a creaminess not not like a correctly constructed risotto. It’s then given distinctive richness by being simmered in milk and incorporating egg yolks to present the rice pudding a custard-like high quality.
Typically it’s topped with a sprinkle of sugar, or garnished with lemon zest, orange zest, or cinnamon. Nonetheless, the topping can change with the season. You may see a variety of Arroz Doce being enhanced with citrus zest when lemons and oranges are in season. Then topped with cinnamon within the autumn or early winter.
My favourite place for Arroz Doce is Tasca da Esquina in Lisbon’s Campo de Ourique neighborhood. It’s a up to date Portuguese restaurant, run by the well-known chef Vítor Sobral.
Their arroz doce is elevated with restaurant approach and high quality components, whereas nonetheless holding true to its roots in conventional Portuguese delicacies. I like the wealthy creaminess that comes from the combination of the egg-based custard and the starch of the short-grain rice.
Tasca da Esquina €€€ – Praça da Figueira 18B, 1100-241 Lisbon, Portugal – Open for lunch Monday to Saturday from 12:30 PM to three:00 PM. Dinner is Monday to Saturday from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM. They’re closed on Sundays.
Lampreia de Ovos
Lampreia de Ovos is a conventional Christmas dessert that’s often made by native convents all through Lisbon. It harkens again to their conventional previous, and all of the lamprey eels caught in fishing nets. But it’s given a whimsical therapy to appease your candy tooth throughout the vacation season.
Lampreia de Ovos made primarily from egg yolks and sugar, then formed to appear like an eel. The outside of the pastry is adorned for the season, or no less than to remind you of one thing apart from the ugliness of a real-life lamprey.
My favourite place for Lampreia de Ovos is Pastelaria Santo António in Lisbon’s Alfama district. They’re well-known for making a variety of Portuguese sweets.
I liked the festively cute design of the pastry that matched the spirit of a Christmas deal with. I loved how the outside pastry cracked to disclose the egg-rich custard inside. The inside was an ideal stability of richness and sweetness with out being cloy. Sipping black espresso with it saved my palate awake and prepared for the subsequent creamy chunk.
Pastelaria Santo António €€ – Rua do Milagre de Santo António 10, 1100-351 Lisbon, Portugal – Open from Monday to Saturday from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
Toucinho do Céu
The time period Toucinho do Céu interprets into English as “Bacon from Heaven” which could get your mouth watering in anticipation of a smoky, pork deal with. But it’s really a densely wealthy custard cake with notes of almond.
Most Portuguese pastry cooks infuse Toucinho do Céu’s custard with almonds. This offers it a slight graininess and nutty taste that works properly with the smoothness of the egg yolk and sugar combination. Relying on the season, it’s garnished with cinnamon or lemon zest.
My Favourite place for Toucinho do Céu, in Lisbon is Pastelaria Alcôa within the Chiado district of Lisbon. They’re an ideal place to take pleasure in a deal with earlier than touring the close by Convento do Carmo.
The Toucinho do Céu at Pastelaria Alcôa is crafted with their hallmark consideration to element. I appreciated how the almond taste actually got here by way of, giving the wealthy custard a graininess, with out having a gritty mouth really feel. I additionally suppose the cinnamon garnish suits completely with Toucinho do Céu’s nutty flavours.
Pastelaria Alcôa €€ – Rua Garrett 37, 1200-203 Lisbon, Portugal – Open daily from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Travesseiros
Travesseiros are a conventional Portuguese pastry that may hint its roots again to the Sintra area. They’re pillow-shaped puff pastries stuffed with an ethereally mild, candy almond cream.
Travesseiros are made out of flaky puff pastry dough and stuffed with a mix of floor almonds, sugar, and eggs. Once you chunk into it the crispy, flakiness of the pastry shell offers strategy to a calmly candy, creamy almond paste. It’s a super breakfast pastry that I prefer to have with a easy black, but daring cup of espresso.
My favourite place for Travesseiro is Piriquita. I benefit from the thick quantity of luscious filling in every Travesseiro, whereas the underside stays crispy and flaky.
Piriquita € Rua das Padarias 1/18, 2710-603 Sintra – Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 AM to eight:00 PM.
Queijadas
Queijadas are most well-known from Sintra, however aren’t authentic from there. There are lots of forms of Queijadas. Nonetheless, they are deeply liked all through Portugal, with a plethora of high-end choices throughout Lisboa.
They’re small, spherical tarts with a silky custard made out of recent cheese, sugar, and eggs. It type of reminds you that cheese can be dropped at bear as a dessert meals. Additionally they have a bit little bit of a cupcake high quality to them. As a substitute of being frosted, they’re often topped with a mild dusting of cinnamon, which supplies them added heat.
Considered one of my favourite locations for Queijadas in Lisbon is Pastelaria Versailles on Avenida da República. It has a Belle Époque ambiance that makes you are feeling such as you’ve stepped again in time to the 19th century. It’s an ideal match for the standard manner Pastelaria Versailles prepares Queijadas.
With every chunk, I might style the wealthy, creamy cheese which was completely balanced with simply the correct amount of sweetness. The recent cheese got here by way of with out making the Queijadas right into a savory dish.
Pastelaria Versailles €€ – Avenida da República 15A, 1050-185 Lisbon, Portugal – Open from Monday to Saturday from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM and Sunday from 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM.
Conclusion
Lisbon provides some superb desserts you’ll find anyplace else in Europe. Understandably, you’d need to attempt all of them. Some just like the pastéis de nata can be found daily, and you can also make a enjoyable recreation out of discovering the place that makes the most effective.
Others just like the lampreia de ovos are sometimes out there relying on the season. But even classical Lisbon desserts just like the Toucinho do Céu is likely to be topped or garnished with cinnamon within the winter, and citrus zest in the summertime.
