Natas

The pastel de nata is Portugal's most famous pastry, originating at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, where monks sold pastéis to raise funds after the Liberal Revolution of 1820. The thin, crisp puff pastry shell holds a creamy egg custard blistered with dark spots from extreme oven heat.

Today, pastéis de nata are consumed across Portugal at any hour, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Natas have become a global symbol of Portuguese pastry-making, spawning devotees and imitators worldwide.