It’s hard to stay in Portugal without tasting pastel de nata at least once. Even some pasteis de nata. Open lingual bracket, Pasteis De Nata is the plural of pastel de nata which simply means “cream pastry”. These small pastries are made exclusively in separate parts, in a puff pastry base, into which a mixture of milk, sugar, egg yolk, flour, lemon zest and cinnamon is poured before baking. Pastel is eaten in 2 or 3 bites, often accompanied by coffee. “Um pastel de nata e um coffee, por favor!” »
Some lovers adore it so much that they do not hesitate to make a pilgrimage to the Belém district of Lisbon to taste the sweetness of its place of origin. The story goes that it was the monks of the famous Jeronimos Monastery (1601) who developed the recipe for managing the egg yolk reserves that resulted from the separation of the whites used in the preparation of the hosts. The pastry’s resource economy is somewhat similar to that of Bordeaux cinnamons, invented by nuns who recycled egg yolks from the wine cellars of the Quai des Chartrons, while the whites were used to “glue” the wine vats.
But let’s go back to the Tagus estuary… In 1820, the liberal revolution decided to cut subsidies to monasteries throughout the country, including Belém, forcing the religious to find new resources to meet their needs. That’s when they decided to sell their famous cakes to people passing through Belem. Ten years later, they finally agreed to hand over the recipe to Brazilian-Portuguese entrepreneur Domingos Rafael Alves, convinced he could use it. The man had a certain flair, if we judge today the planetary success of the small pastry chosen in 2011 among the 7 culinary wonders of Portugal.
Find other episodes of Summer All Sugar, All Honey:
Episode 1 – Tropezienne cake, the sweetest star of the Côte d’Azur
Episode 2 –Sfogliatella riccia, a Neapolitan slipper that is nothing more than a couch potato
Episode 3 – A basque cake, crispy and smooth, to take out.
Secretly kept recipe
And if only in the Belém pastry shop, where an average of 20,000 cakes are sold every day. It is still in the same space that opened in 1837, which can be recognized by the blue azulejo walls or the long line that the recipe is prepared according to the original recipe. A recipe that the confectioners of the house have written to keep secret. Here, the cake is also called pastel de Belém to emphasize its exceptional nature. Another specialty, pâtés are usually served lightly sprinkled with cinnamon powder.
Obviously, all pastry shops in Lisbon now offer pasteis de nata, each requiring a completely individual recipe. Obviously, some brands, in the list below, obviously do well, but everyone should decide to choose their favorite pastel de nata.
The best places to taste pastel de nata in Lisbon
Pasteis de Belém, Rua de Belém nє 84 a 92. 1300 – 085 Lisbon, Tel. +351 21 363 74 23:
Confeitaria Nacional, Praça da Figueira 18B, 1100-241 Lisbon, Tel. +351 21 342 4470.
Pastelaria Aloma, R. Francisco Metrass 67, 1350-139 Lisbon. Such. +351 21 396 3797.
Pastelaria Santo Antonio, R. do Milagre de Santo António 10, 1100-351 Lisbon, Tel. +351 21 887 1717.
Source: Le Figaro
