Folar

Folar is a traditional bread prepared for Easter across northern Portugal, with both savoury and sweet versions. The savoury folar transmontano is a magnificent creation: a rich bread dough encasing layers of presunto, salpicão, chouriço, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs. It is a celebratory bread marking the end of Lenten fasting.

Sweet folares, more common in other regions, are flavoured with cinnamon, lemon zest, and sometimes anise. In Trás-os-Montes, folar-making is a communal Easter tradition, with families preparing the breads in wood-fired ovens. The savoury version, golden and glistening with meat juices, is one of Portugal's great festive foods.