For those who’ve spent any time in Portugal, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the enduring pastéis de nata. They beckon from each bakery window with their flaky crusts, custardy facilities, and punctiliously caramelized surfaces.
Within the capital and all through the nation, they’re low cost, they’re scrumptious, and so they’re completely ubiquitous. You may even say pastéis de nata in Lisbon are a dime a dozen—however I urge to vary.
If you wish to dive into the story and specifics of this sugary deal with, you’ve come to the suitable place. As soon as you already know their historical past and cultural significance, you’ll suppose twice about greedily gobbling them up in two bites. For those who ask me, a confection as symbolic and storied as this one deserves to be savored.
What Are Pastéis de Nata?
Pastéis de nata are a conventional Portuguese pastry that may greatest be described as a sort of egg tart or custard tart. They appear a bit like little nests, with a thick outer layer of flaky pastry dough and a filling of wealthy yellow custard.
The highest of the custard is caramelized, with darkish brown or black spots and a barely totally different texture than the filling beneath it. Undoubtedly, this is likely one of the must-try meals in Lisbon—particularly should you love sweets.
The time period pastéis de nata is Portuguese for “cream pastries.” Pastéis is the plural type of the phrase for pastry. So should you hear or see pastel de nata as an alternative, it’s merely referring to at least one custard tart as an alternative of a number of.
What Are Pastéis de Belém?
Pastéis de nata are typically additionally known as pastéis de Belém. However what is the distinction, and why the 2 names?
All of it comes right down to time and place. Essentially the most well-known place to eat pastéis de nata in Lisbon is the district of Santa Maria de Belém, and particularly the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém.
Some may argue that the pastries you get on the Fábrica are in a category of their very own, and subsequently the 2 names check with various things.
However the easiest clarification is that pastéis de nata is the generic time period, whereas pastéis de Belém has develop into well-liked as a result of status of this specific pastry store. Though the latter technically refers back to the ones made right here, it is typically used to speak about Portuguese custard tarts usually.
The place Do Pastéis de Nata Come From?
There’s one more reason why pastéis de nata are typically known as pastéis de Belém: they have been invented—or a minimum of perfected—on this space of Lisbon.
The monks on the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém have been the primary to make and distribute the enduring custard tarts. They used egg whites to starch clothes and materials, creating an extra of leftover yolks. As an alternative of losing them, they typically used them to make truffles and pastries.
After the Liberal Revolution of 1820, the monks have been confronted with an issue. Non secular establishments all through Portugal not had funding and have been shutting down. To usher in some further money, they began promoting custard tarts to the general public.
Finally, the monastery closed anyway, at which level the monks bought the recipe to the native sugar refinery. Sensing the gold mine that they had on their palms, the refinery’s homeowners opened the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém in 1837… and the remainder is historical past.
How Do You Make Pastéis de Nata?
Pastéis de nata are definitely a easy pleasure: buttery pastry, creamy custard, and never a lot else. Nonetheless, it takes way more effort and experience than one may count on to realize the best Portuguese custard tart.
Crafting the Excellent Crust
To begin with, there’s the dough that kinds the pastry crust. For those who’ve ever tried to make your personal pastries, you understand how delicate this course of could be. After mixing the substances, it’s a must to work the dough into the suitable consistency, including butter as you go to create the proper texture.
This takes some time, and there aren’t any shortcuts if you wish to find yourself with the true factor. Newbie cooks (myself included) could be tempted to make use of store-bought pastry dough, however the end result—whereas nonetheless scrumptious—gained’t be almost as spectacular or genuine.
See Additionally: Take a look at our assortment of straightforward and genuine Portuguese recipes!
Concocting the Creamiest Custard
After perfecting the dough, it’s time to make the filling. This includes mixing collectively a number of important substances: flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and—in fact—egg yolks.
However don’t suppose you’ll be able to simply throw all of it in a mixing bowl, whisk it up, and name it a day. Creating custard that’s each creamy and light-weight is a fragile course of, involving cautious heating and timing.
Subsequent you may have to assemble and bake the tarts. That is the place the magic occurs: the filling thickens, the crust will get crispy, and people distinctive golden brown spots seem on the highest of the custard.
As soon as they’re out of the oven, mud them liberally with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar. And identical to that, the star of Lisbon’s bakeries is born.
Attempt it at residence: Get David’s scrumptious pastel de nata recipe right here!
The place to Eat Pastéis de Nata in Lisbon
Nearly each restaurant, café, and bakery in Lisbon—and the remainder of Portugal, for that matter—serves this native delicacy. However not all custard tarts are created equal.
All of these difficult steps I simply listed make room for loads of variation. Because of this, the query of who has the very best pastéis de nata in Lisbon is a sophisticated one.
There are the plain frontrunners, together with the aforementioned Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém. They’ve their very own secret recipe (handed down from the monks who created it), and hoards of vacationers line up on daily basis to strive the well-known specialty.
I can inform you from private expertise that the custard tarts right here undoubtedly have their very own distinctive texture, with a thinner and crispier crust. However they don’t seem to be essentially higher or worse than those I’ve had elsewhere; it’s a matter of non-public choice.
Past Belém, there are many different pastelarias which might be effectively price a go to. Manteigaria is a basic, and my private favourite spot for these pastries. Different well-liked chains embody Aloma and Fábrica da Nata.
Extra conventional Portuguese cafés with unbelievable pastéis de nata in Lisbon embody Confeitaria Nacional and Pastelaria Santo António. And naturally, should you see a window show that appears notably tempting, it is by no means a nasty concept to strive someplace new.
For the egg-free and dairy-free diners amongst us, it could seem to be pastéis de nata are hopelessly out of attain. Thankfully, there’s the aptly named Vegan Nata, which sells a vegan model that is about as shut as you may get to the basic custard tart!
See Additionally: The place to Eat in Lisbon – The Final Information
The right way to Get pleasure from Portuguese Custard Tarts as A lot as Attainable
It’s straightforward to get caught up in a seek for the easiest pastéis de nata in Lisbon; and should you’re up for it, I totally assist that mission. However fortunately for you—and the remainder of us—these delicacies rarely disappoint.
The reality is that irrespective of the place you purchase them, they will most likely be scrumptious regardless of their variations. For my part, what issues most is that you simply get pleasure from them heat and freshly baked if potential!
With that in thoughts, I recommend that you simply pattern them at each alternative, whatever the relative status of every pastry store. For breakfast, after lunch, as a day snack… it’s all the time a great time for a pastel de nata.
And now that you already know the historical past of pastéis de nata in Lisbon—plus their composition and preparation—every chunk will style that significantly better.
Pastéis de Nata in Lisbon FAQs
A pastel de nata (the singular type of pastéis de nata) is a custard tart made with egg yolks, sugar, and a flaky pastry crust. It is essentially the most iconic pastry in Portugal, and could be discovered throughout Lisbon and the remainder of the nation.
The enduring custard tarts that you’re going to discover throughout Lisbon are known as pastéis de nata in Portuguese (actually which means “cream pastries”). They’re typically additionally known as pastéis de Belém.
That is up for debate! The 2 most well-known spots are Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém (which has the unique recipe) and Manteigaria (my private favourite). However in actuality, you may get unimaginable custard tarts at any variety of bakeries in Lisbon!
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