All I could hope for when I arrived in Lisbon was to try egg tarts at the very place that first sold them in the world! Sounds magical, right? And that was certainly the wish of those who patiently lined up outside the legendary bakery.
There are always long lines of people in front of the Pastéis de Belém bakery.
Pastéis de Belém, a type of egg tart (also known as Custard Tarts) with a layered tart shell and a soft custard cream inside. I still remember that chilly evening in front of Saint Roch Church, I opened the box of Pastéis de Belém that I had bought 6 hours earlier and was amazed that the crunchiness of the little tart had not lost. It was truly an unforgettable impression.
"Portrait" of golden tarts
The Portuguese call their egg tarts “pasteis de nata”. This traditional pastry is sold all over the country in countless variations. However, the interesting thing is that the recipe for making a normal pasteis de nata is not the same as the recipe for Pastéis de Belém. Because it is the first, the only, and a secret recipe!
The Pastéis de Belém
Pastéis de Belém are sold only at a famous pastry shop of the same name in Belém (a district of Lisbon) that has been around for nearly 200 years. This recipe was created by monks of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon in the late 18th century. At that time, monasteries often used large amounts of egg whites to starch cloth for monks' clothes. And they had to think of a way to use the leftover egg yolks instead of throwing them away. And from that, the world's first egg tarts were born.
Pastéis de Belém officially opened in 1837 and remains so today.
Due to the Liberal Revolution of 1820, all the monasteries in Portugal were closed for many years and the monks and priests were expelled. To make a living, the monks went to a nearby sugar refinery and started selling egg tarts to make money. In 1834, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos Monastery was officially closed and the legendary recipe was sold to the sugar mill owner. In 1837, the mill owner stopped sugar production and opened the Pastéis de Belém bakery, which he has maintained with his descendants to this day.
Outside the Pastéis de Belém bakery
In that pastry shop, there is a room called The Of Ofinaina do Segredo – The Secret Room. This is where the special dough coat and the rich custard of the Pastéis de Belém are made. This recipe is patented and only 6 people in the world know it, including the owner of the sugar factory, his two relatives, and the shop’s three main chefs – these three chefs also had to sign an agreement to maintain the recipe’s secrecy. And after nearly 200 years of existence, the recipe is still kept exactly as it was when it was first made.
On average, about 20,000 cakes are sold every day.
According to estimates by the bakery owner, Miguel Clarinha, his family bakery sells about 20,000 cakes a day and up to 40,000 during the tourist season. Now, to enjoy a cake at Pastéis de Belém, you have to join the super long line in front of the store to buy one to take away. If you want to enjoy them on the spot, go inside the shop with a capacity of 400 customers but always crowded to wait in another long line!
The shop can accommodate more than 400 people but is always packed.
I witnessed such a “spectacular” crowd when I arrived in Belém on a rainy day. It seemed that the rain only made the bakery more crowded. And all the tiredness of waiting disappeared when I enjoyed my first piece of Pastéis de Belém.
An excellent explosion of flavors, because it harmonizes all the ingredients perfectly. The richness of the custard cream filling blends with the crispiness of the crust and a little bit of cinnamon powder sprinkled on top. Add a glass of bica - a popular coffee in Portugal and you have the perfect gift for a rainy day!
In 2009, The Guardian listed Pastéis de Belém as one of the 50 most delicious dishes in the world.
An old Portuguese proverb says: “A bride who eats cake never takes off her ring.” And that’s why on their wedding day, brides and grooms from this land will definitely head to Pastéis de Belém to enjoy the happiest egg tart of their lives.
