As soon as I got to Portugal, I noticed the great displays of pastries in every store and bakery. From the train station in Lisbon, to cafés in Coimbra, to restaurants in Porto, I could tell the Portuguese must have a sweet tooth. Lucky for me, so do I. I had so much fun trying each traditional flaky sweet treat. My all time favorite pastry is the custard pie and I’ve tried different kinds of versions from around the world.
Portugal’s very own world famous version – pastel de nata is an egg custard tart in filo dough with a more rustic appearance and textured look. I was in custard heaven!
I think I ate more pastries than actual real food when I was in Portugal and to be quite honest, I didn’t even bother to know what the rest of the pastries were called or what was on it. I relished the surprise of the unknown every time I tried one pastry treat at a time. Or sometimes two.
I must have gained a lot of weight after only four days in Portugal. Please eat at your own risk.
So don’t miss the chance to try pastires when you’re in Portugal. To not feel bad about yourself, maybe hike the beautiful Sintra Mountains to burn off those calories. I promise you, the calories were worth it.
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Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.