25 Portuguese Desserts You Need to Try
-
Loading... - Samantha Elliot
- 16 Feb 2022
- 425 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The desserts of Portugual dazzle with their beauty and delight with their flavor, while playing an integral role in making the country’s cuisine so rich and scrumptious. Let’s together delve in, and discover the sweeter side of Portuguese food through 25 must-try desserts as recommended by a local.
Portuguese Desserts
1 – Aletria
Aletria was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the moors around the 8th century – something you could have hinted at by the first two letters of the word. Today, it is made and enjoyed in both Portugal and Spain.
It is a dessert made of a very thin type of pasta, condensed milk, and eggs. The top of the dessert is decorated with crossed lines of cinnamon, which are way harder to replicate than it may seem!
Alteria is a delicious dessert, renowned for its sumptuously soft texture, that has its place at every Christmas table in Portugal!
2 – Arroz-Doce
Arroz-doce, which translates to “sweet-rice”, is a typical dessert in many countries around the world. It originated in Asia and was incorporated into the Portuguese tradition through the merchants that traveled between the two continents.
The dish consists of rice that is boiled in milk with sugar. Usually, lemon zest and a cinnamon stick are added, while cinnamon powder is always sprinkled on top.
At first glance, you may mistake it for Aletria, as the pulpy texture and rich flavors are similar. You can even think of arroz-doce as a tasty gluten-free alternative!
3 – Baba de Camelo
There is an urban myth around this typical dessert – or more specifically, how its bizarre name “Camel’s drool” came to be.
It is said that someone received a few unexpected guests for dinner, and not having a dessert prepared, she put together a dish from what she had in the cupboard, which was simply sugar, eggs, and condensed milk. The result was a silky-smooth gold-colored mousse.
Fearing it was too simple and not plentiful enough for everyone at the dinner party, she baptized it with a not so mouth-watering name, in hope that some guests would refrain from eating it… but to no avail!
4 – Bola de Berlim
The famous Bola de Berlim came to Portugal from Germany after the Second World War. It consists of sweet flour dough that is deep fried before it is filled with a Portuguese classic: a sweet and bright yellow filling made from milk, sugar, flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, and lemon, called “creme de pasteleiro.”
The curious thing about the fluffy Bola de Berlim is that, even though you can find it at every pastry shop in the country all year round, it is largely eaten at the beach during the hot summer months.
5 – Bolo de Bolacha
This coffee-flavored biscuit cake is such a hugely popular traditional dessert in Portugal, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that doesn’t have its own version on the menu.
Even though nowadays there are plenty of variations that will make you crave this sweet treat even more, the original Bolo de Bolacha is a cake made of “Maria” biscuits, eggs, butter, sugar, and barley coffee.
The result is a rich cake, not too sweet, with a delightfully soft crunch to it. It is the perfect snack to enjoy with tea in the afternoon or at sunset.
6 – Doce Fino do Algarve
This exquisite albeit peculiar dessert is arguably the best looking of all of the featured dishes on this list. Its marzipan exterior and use of sugar and egg whites all contribute to a Portuguese dessert blessed with alluring decadence.
Typical from Algarve, the southern region of Portugal, the Doce Fino is in fact modeled and painted by hand! And yes, it tastes as good as it looks. In fact, as a proud “Algarvian”, I dare say – it actually tastes even better! Read More…
