Portuguese Dessert: Pastéis De Nata

Alex and I are planning to travel to Portugal at the end of January for work.

A great way to get prepared for the trip is to learn about Portuguese cuisine since it’s a mystery to me what Portuguese people eat.

Colonial Influences

As I look into Portuguese cuisines, I remember that the Portuguese had a big influence on many international regions during the time when European powers colonize many parts of the world.

My friend’s last name is D’mello for example from the Portuguese who showed up in Southern India. My mum also used to tell me that egg tarts were influenced by Portuguese desserts.

With some research, I discovered there’s some truth behind these stories.

Egg Tart compared to pastéis de nata. Illustration from garlicdelight.com.

What To Look Forward To

So one thing I’m looking forward to in Portugal is trying Portuguese pastries. In particular, I will be comparing the pastéis de nata, the Portuguese egg tart, to the danta, the Chinese egg tart.

Do you think they will be radically different? Or will the influence be so strong that I’ll think I’m eating a Chinese egg tart?

Anna looking down chopping vegetables
About Anna Rider

Hi! I'm Anna, a food writer who documents kitchen experiments on GarlicDelight.com with the help of my physicist and taste-testing husband, Alex. I have an insatiable appetite for noodles 🍜 and believe in "improv cooking".

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