14 pastries in two days? Oh the sacrifices that I make for you, dear readers. Even in France I didn't see as many pastries as I've seen in Portugal. They seem like a big part of the cafe culture and there are so many to choose from selecting them can be daunting. To help all of you I've gorged myself and written a short review of the pastries I've tried. Whether you're hungry enough for a full meal or just looking for something to dunk in your coffee, the pastries of Portugal will satisfy you.
Sweetness: 0
Heaviness: 3-4
Dunkability: -5
Amazingness: 4
If you're looking for something substantial grab a few of these. Empadas are usually filled with chicken or beef. They are served in nearly all cafes and two or three will fill you nicely. The best ones that I've had are not flakey but look breaded and are more dumpling shaped.
Sweetness: 4
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 1
Amazingness: 3
A light and flakey crust perfectly complimented by a subtly flavored pumpkin filling. Shredded pieces of pumpkin create a unique texture. It's incredibly sweet and filling. Honey glazed top. Getting through the filling bit is rough because it's so rich. Would go well with a café (or a friend) to break up the sweetness.
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 5
Dunkability: 0
Amazingness: 1
This one wasn't my favorite. It felt heavy but light on taste. There was an excessive eggy taste that I didn't enjoy. Can't say that I recommend.
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 3
This little guy beats the hell out of Dunkin' Doughnuts Munchkins. A puffy little ball of pastry dough filled with an egg creme completed with a dusting of powdered sugar. Seriously I could eat about 10. Most pastry shops sell a number of these miniature pastries that are perfect for finding a favorite.
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 4
On the outside it reminded me of baklava but when I took a bit the first image that came to my mind was one of those big wheaties. This one is all about the flakey texture of the dough on the outside. It's light and crispy with a nice sweet mellow flavor. It's not super rich and overpowering and the texture is really nice. One of my favorites so far and the shape would be great for dunking.
Sweetness: 5
Heaviness: 5
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 3
Who doesn't like melt in your mouth chocolate? Look no further. Similar to a brownie, this dense cake has intense chocolate flavor that's not overpowering because of the vanilla wafers inside of it. The chocolate is smooth and the wafers give it a nice crunch. I definitely couldn't eat two of these but this is delicious.
Sweetness: 5
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 2
Looks like a doughnut but do not be fooled. The icing on top is very thick and extremely sweet. Instead of being puffy and bread-like the pastry is layers of flakey crispy goodness. Although it's a little hard to eat without getting icing all over my face, it's delicious. The pastry and icing go nicely together. I wouldn't recommend for dunking.
Sweetness: 2
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 3
After eating that not-a-doughnut, this pastry is the perfect cure. It's not heavy and rich but it gives you something substantial to bite into. There is no filling in the middle just a light flavoring of peanuts. If you don't like insanely sweet pastries, this is a good choice.
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 4
Nearly resembling a star destroyer, the jesuita is layers of thin and flakey dough complimented by a thin layer of filling, topped with a hard icing. I enjoyed this pastry because it wasn't super sweet. The layer of filling in the middle gave it just enough moisture. I highly recommend breaking this apart and dunking it.
Sweetness: 0
Heaviness: 4
Dunkability: 0
Amazingness: 5
If you're looking for something filling and don't feel like an empada, go for a lanche or bola de carne. Either way you'll be satisfied. Bread with meat baked inside is amazing. The lanche especial is ham, onions, peppers, and cheese, similar to a calzone. The bola de carne looks more like a slice of pie with layers of ham and cheese.
Sweetness: 2
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 4
Perhaps almonds make you feel healthy or you like their taste, give this pastry a try. Shredded almonds piled on top of a sweet bread. It's not too sweet and the almonds and bread go nicely together. If you don't want a coffee full of almonds, I wouldn't recommend going for the dunk.
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 5
The best for last. Simplicity is the language of the gods. With a name as lofty as "Bread of God," this pastry does not disappoint. A large portion of fluffy sweet bread topped with a lemony coconut icing and blessed with powdered sugar. Because of its simplicity, balance of sweetness, and dunkability, I name the pao de deus the king of all pastries!
If you've been to Portugal you know that I've missed the most important pastry, the pastel de nata. I haven't reviewed it because I've eaten so many I'm sick of them. No visit to Portugal would be complete without saturating your tastebuds with pastel de nata but I hope this article helps you to explore beyond the nata... Bom apetite!
Still hungry? Munch on this article about Portuguese pastries Fabrico Próprio (thanks Luis).
Tchao!
 |
| So many choices! Eat them all! |
Empada Vitela e Empada de Galinha
 |
| Veal on the left. Chicken on the right. |
Heaviness: 3-4
Dunkability: -5
Amazingness: 4
If you're looking for something substantial grab a few of these. Empadas are usually filled with chicken or beef. They are served in nearly all cafes and two or three will fill you nicely. The best ones that I've had are not flakey but look breaded and are more dumpling shaped.
Jesuita de Chila
Sweetness: 4
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 1
Amazingness: 3
A light and flakey crust perfectly complimented by a subtly flavored pumpkin filling. Shredded pieces of pumpkin create a unique texture. It's incredibly sweet and filling. Honey glazed top. Getting through the filling bit is rough because it's so rich. Would go well with a café (or a friend) to break up the sweetness.
Bispo
Heaviness: 5
Dunkability: 0
Amazingness: 1
This one wasn't my favorite. It felt heavy but light on taste. There was an excessive eggy taste that I didn't enjoy. Can't say that I recommend.
Mini Bola de Berim
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 3
This little guy beats the hell out of Dunkin' Doughnuts Munchkins. A puffy little ball of pastry dough filled with an egg creme completed with a dusting of powdered sugar. Seriously I could eat about 10. Most pastry shops sell a number of these miniature pastries that are perfect for finding a favorite.
Pastel de Tentugal
Sweetness: 3
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 4
On the outside it reminded me of baklava but when I took a bit the first image that came to my mind was one of those big wheaties. This one is all about the flakey texture of the dough on the outside. It's light and crispy with a nice sweet mellow flavor. It's not super rich and overpowering and the texture is really nice. One of my favorites so far and the shape would be great for dunking.
Salame de Chocolate
Heaviness: 5
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 3
Who doesn't like melt in your mouth chocolate? Look no further. Similar to a brownie, this dense cake has intense chocolate flavor that's not overpowering because of the vanilla wafers inside of it. The chocolate is smooth and the wafers give it a nice crunch. I definitely couldn't eat two of these but this is delicious.
Gloria
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 2
Looks like a doughnut but do not be fooled. The icing on top is very thick and extremely sweet. Instead of being puffy and bread-like the pastry is layers of flakey crispy goodness. Although it's a little hard to eat without getting icing all over my face, it's delicious. The pastry and icing go nicely together. I wouldn't recommend for dunking.
Peanut Log (???)
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 3
After eating that not-a-doughnut, this pastry is the perfect cure. It's not heavy and rich but it gives you something substantial to bite into. There is no filling in the middle just a light flavoring of peanuts. If you don't like insanely sweet pastries, this is a good choice.
Jesuita
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 4
Nearly resembling a star destroyer, the jesuita is layers of thin and flakey dough complimented by a thin layer of filling, topped with a hard icing. I enjoyed this pastry because it wasn't super sweet. The layer of filling in the middle gave it just enough moisture. I highly recommend breaking this apart and dunking it.
Lanche Especial
Heaviness: 4
Dunkability: 0
Amazingness: 5
If you're looking for something filling and don't feel like an empada, go for a lanche or bola de carne. Either way you'll be satisfied. Bread with meat baked inside is amazing. The lanche especial is ham, onions, peppers, and cheese, similar to a calzone. The bola de carne looks more like a slice of pie with layers of ham and cheese.
Queijada com Amendoas
Heaviness: 2
Dunkability: 2
Amazingness: 4
Perhaps almonds make you feel healthy or you like their taste, give this pastry a try. Shredded almonds piled on top of a sweet bread. It's not too sweet and the almonds and bread go nicely together. If you don't want a coffee full of almonds, I wouldn't recommend going for the dunk.
Pao de Deus
Heaviness: 3
Dunkability: 5
Amazingness: 5
The best for last. Simplicity is the language of the gods. With a name as lofty as "Bread of God," this pastry does not disappoint. A large portion of fluffy sweet bread topped with a lemony coconut icing and blessed with powdered sugar. Because of its simplicity, balance of sweetness, and dunkability, I name the pao de deus the king of all pastries!
If you've been to Portugal you know that I've missed the most important pastry, the pastel de nata. I haven't reviewed it because I've eaten so many I'm sick of them. No visit to Portugal would be complete without saturating your tastebuds with pastel de nata but I hope this article helps you to explore beyond the nata... Bom apetite!
Still hungry? Munch on this article about Portuguese pastries Fabrico Próprio (thanks Luis).
Tchao!
No comments:
Post a Comment