Emma Stone won this Sunday (10) the statuette of Best actress at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony for his performance in “Poor Creatures “, a film that won three other awards on the night of the biggest cinema awards. The production's settings date back to large cities, such as London, Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris.
But it is in the Portuguese capital that Bella Baxter, the character played by Stone, discovers the pleasures of an unmistakable delicacy: custard tart . In the scenes it is possible to see the character's delight when placing not just one, but several pieces of candy in her mouth.
In total, the actress had to eat 60 custard tarts to capture the sequences. The revelation was made in late February during a panel celebrating the Producers Guild of America Award nominees for Best Picture.
A constituent part of the identity of Lisbon and Portugal, the popular sweet has conventual origins, that is, it emerged in the country's convents and monasteries. Its success is still proven today by the high demand in pastry shops on the streets of the capital, with constant queues at certain addresses.
Pastel de nata
The sweet, which resembles a “pie” shape for us Brazilians, is made up of a small round puff pastry, which is filled with an egg and milk cream and which goes into the oven.
The cream can also contain lemon or vanilla, but without exaggeration, and it is common to sprinkle pinches of cinnamon powder on top of the delicacy before eating it.
AND What is the difference between pastéis de nata and pastéis de Belém ? The recipe is similar, but only those that are manufactured and sold at the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, next to the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and close to the Torre de Belém, in Lisbon, can be called Belém pastries.
The production of Belém pastries officially dates back to 1837 and began in facilities attached to a sugar cane refinery next to the Monastery. To this day, the recipe is secret and passed down from generation to generation by master pastry chefs who make it by hand.
All other sweet producers outside this address simply sell custard tarts.
Check out 5 places in Lisbon to eat pastéis de nata:
-
Manteigaria – Pastéis de Nata Factory
Manteigaria is one of the most popular custard tart chains in the capital, based in Chiado and with stores on Rua Augusta, Campo de Ourique and Time Out Market, to name a few – there are also locations in Porto and even Paris.
Pastéis de nata are sold individually or in packages of two, four or six pieces. If the purchase is for travel, a bag of cinnamon is placed in the bag.
The stores operate like mini-factories, with exposed ovens and custard tarts separated from customers by a glass counter. The batches are announced with the ringing of a bell.
Manteigaria – Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata: Headquarters at Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-108 Lisbon, Portugal / Opening hours: daily from 8 am to midnight / Check other addresses on site.
-
Bairro Alto Hotel Pastry Shop
The luxurious Bairro Alto Hotel is located between Bairro Alto and Chiado, in front of Praça Luís de Camões, and has its own pastry shop on the ground floor open to the public. The custard tarts are sold here individually or in boxes of six.
If you are going to eat them on the spot, a spoon helps with the task of better tasting the creamy filling, which is a little more liquid when compared to the recipes from the other addresses on this list. Containers for pouring cinnamon are available to customers.
In addition to custard tarts, the menu also includes chicken pie, cinnamon and honey roll, mini sponge cake, vanilla and raspberry brioche and Jesuit sweets.
Bairro Alto Hotel: Praça Luís de Camões 2, 1200-243 Lisbon, Portugal / Opening hours: daily from 10am to 7pm.
-
Castro – Pastéis de Nata Atelier
In the two Castro stores in Lisbon, with an address also in Harborit is possible to follow the artisanal manufacture of typical sweets, which gain a higher status here with the help of the decoration and refined crockery.
The filling is aged for a whole day before being made into puff pastry and the pastries are sold individually or in boxes that can contain up to 24 units.
Castro – Atelier de Pastéis de Nata: Rua Garrett 38, 1200-204 and Rua Áurea 254, 1100-066 Lisbon, Portugal / Opening hours: daily from 8:30 am to 10 pm.
-
Santo António Pastry
Pastelaria Santo António is located near Castelo de São Jorge, one of the most visited attractions in the capital, and was winner of the Best Pastel de Nata in Lisbon in 2019.
Here the batches also go to a glass counter in full view of customers and the menu includes other sweets, food and drinks, making it a good stop on the way up or down the castle.
Pastelaria Santo António: Rua do Milagre de Santo António 10, 1100-351 Lisbon, Portugal / Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 7pm.
-
Belém Pastries
It is the most traditional address on the list and the only one where the delicacy can actually be called pastéis de Belém. Located on Rua de Belém, a few steps from the Jerónimos Monastery, the place dates back to 1837 and still attracts long queues to this day. tourists in search of the famous sweet.
The room is busy, but if you want to enjoy the surroundings, there's no need to sit at the small tables: just find out about the queue that leads to the counter for takeout purchases.
It is possible to reach the Belém region by train, the so-called convoy, and enjoy the day here among postcards and cultural centers on the banks of the Tagus. In addition to the Pastéis de Belém and the Monastery, the tip is to check out the Belém Tower, the Belém Cultural Center, the Lisbon Museum of Contemporary Art (with works by Picasso, Francis Bacon, Dalí and Warhol) and the MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (with bold architecture in front of the river and with an inviting terrace).
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
