Portuguese Pastries
Bad for the waistline, good for the soul.
Before we left for Lisbon, I had at least three different people tell me to make sure to try Portuguese baked goods. They were good, they told me. Really good. I’m not one to pass up on a food recommendation (especially when it comes to carbs), so while in Portugal we frequented a few bakeries and sampled the treats you see above. Pasteis de nata is probably the most famous of these: a custard tart with a crispy shell, they reminded me a lot of the egg pastries sold everywhere in Hong Kong. In Sintra, the castle-filled municipality that borders Lisbon, we heeded the advice of my friend Lola and had some sweet treats at Piriquita Dos — there we had travesseiros de Sintra and queijadas de Sintra, local specialties. The first is filled with what tastes like almond cream, the second tasted as though it were made from cheese. So were they as good as they say? I’m on the fence. They are filling but for me too sweet, and I’ve never been a fan of custard. However, anything doughy and flaky gets points in my book, and these treats are relatively cheapand good for tiding one over until the next meal!
Have you ever tried the pastries in Portugal?
