Pastel de Nata

Pastel de Nata [ pɐʃtɛɫ dɯ natɐ ] (plural: pastéis de nata ) or Pastel de Belém [ pɐʃtɛɫ dɯ bɯlɐĩ ] (plural: pastéis de Belém ) is a puff pastry tart with pudding, which probably already before the 18th century by the monks of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ( Jeronimos Monastery ) in Belém, now a district of Lisbon, was prepared. However, it is known that they are manufactured and marketed since 1837 by the pastelaria ( Patisserie ) Casa de Belém pastéis under the name pastéis de Belém.

The tarts are made of puff pastry filled with a cream of egg yolks, sugar and cream. The baked pastéis are usually eaten sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar in Portugal.

In Germany and Luxembourg the pastéis de nata were, as is the Galão, introduced by Portuguese migrant workers. Pastéis de nata represented Portugal in the context of a cultural initiative Café d'Europe of the Institute of the Regions of Europe ( IRE) during the Austrian EU Presidency 2006.