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Bolo Rei
Portugal's traditional Christmas cake, a ring-shaped fruit bread studded with crystallised fruits and nuts.
Bolo Rei is the centrepiece of the Portuguese Christmas table, a ring-shaped sweet bread studded with crystallised fruits, raisins, and nuts. Inspired by the French galette des rois, it was introduced to Lisbon in the late 19th century by Baltazar Castanheiro at Confeitaria Nacional. Traditionally, a dried fava bean and a small gift were baked inside.
The cake is eaten from Christmas through Epiphany (January 6), and whoever finds the bean must buy the next bolo rei. Modern versions often include a Bolo Rainha (Queen Cake) variant without the crystallised fruits, using only nuts. Every pastelaria in Portugal produces bolo rei during the holiday season, each with its own recipe and decoration.
