23 Portuguese custards and creams
Cooked custards, egg-and-milk fillings, baked creams and desserts caramelised at the surface.
“Nata” describes more than one recipe. This family includes yolk or whole-egg custards, thickened milk, fillings baked inside pastry and creams finished beneath burnt sugar. Texture depends on the balance of eggs, milk, sugar and starch, but also on how heat reaches the mixture.
Pastel de nata is the international emblem; leite-creme represents the spoon-and-burnt-sugar tradition; farófias add poached egg whites; and island or chestnut variations show how the base adapts to local produce.
Four ways into the family
Catalogue image Pastel de Nata
The crackling shell and scorched custard that conquered the world.
Lisbon
Catalogue image Portuguese Crème Brûlée
A stovetop custard finished with a crackling lid of burnt sugar.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Floating Islands
Cloud-soft meringues poached in milk, afloat on a cinnamon-scented egg custard.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Graciosa Milk Tartlets
Azorean thin-crust tartlets filled with milk, yolk and cinnamon custard.
The Azores23 Portuguese custards and creams
Open each record for origin, ingredients, flavour, history, variations, season, where to try it and sources.
Catalogue image Northern Portuguese Choux Cream Puff
Hollow choux, generous chantilly and caramel—or chocolate with almond.
The North
Catalogue image Maia Corn-Flour Custard
A Maia custard of egg yolks and yellow corn flour, scented with lavender, vanilla and lemon.
The North
Catalogue image Porto Polka Choux Pastry
Choux with chantilly, chocolate or caramel, decorated with cherry or fios de ovos.
The North
Catalogue image Vinhais Chestnut Custard Tarts
A Trás-os-Montes custard tart whose filling takes on the colour and flavour of Vinhais chestnuts.
Trás-os-Montes
Catalogue image Pastéis de Belém
Belém's 1837 speciality of laminated pastry and egg custard.
Lisbon Catalogue image Pastel de Nata
The crackling shell and scorched custard that conquered the world.
Lisbon
Catalogue image Porto Santo Lambecas
Porto Santo's spiral soft-serve, protected by a secret recipe.
Madeira Catalogue image Graciosa Milk Tartlets
Azorean thin-crust tartlets filled with milk, yolk and cinnamon custard.
The Azores
Catalogue image Povoação Fofas
Povoação's éclair: choux pastry, generous cream and a chocolate braid.
The Azores
Catalogue image Faial Cream Puffs
Faial's fennel-scented scalded pastry, filled with lemon or vanilla cream at Carnival.
The Azores
Catalogue image Dona Amélia Ice Cream
Azorean milk and cream turn Terceira's spiced cake into a rich ice cream.
The Azores
Catalogue image Portuguese Alsaciano Custard Cake
A tall sweet-pastry cylinder filled with caramelised lemon custard.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Pastry-Counter Rum Baba
Yeasted cake soaked in rum syrup and opened for a whirl of chantilly.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Bom Bocado Custard Tart
Sweet shortcrust, custard and a clear fragrance of lemon.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Duchesse Choux
Elongated choux opened for chantilly and crowned with golden egg threads.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Bakery Éclair
Elongated choux with pastry cream and chocolate, coffee or vanilla fondant.
Nationwide Catalogue image Floating Islands
Cloud-soft meringues poached in milk, afloat on a cinnamon-scented egg custard.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Império Coconut-Custard Tart
Puff pastry, coconut custard, sweet egg cream, cinnamon and half a cherry.
Nationwide Catalogue image Portuguese Crème Brûlée
A stovetop custard finished with a crackling lid of burnt sugar.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Kidney-Shaped Choux
Kidney-shaped curved choux filled with cream and topped with chocolate.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Sogra Choux Ring
A small choux ring filled with whipped cream and dusted with sugar.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Shortcrust Custard Tart
Milk, yolk, sugar and lemon custard in a shell that varies from sweet pastry to puff pastry.
Nationwide
Catalogue image Portuguese Fruit Tartlet
Sweet pastry, cream and colourful fruit protected by a film of jelly.
NationwideQuestions about this family
What are custards & creams?
Cooked custards, egg-and-milk fillings, baked creams and desserts caramelised at the surface.
How many sweets are in this category?
The catalogue contains 23 specialities in this family. Every record includes origin, ingredients, flavour, history, variations, season, where to try it and sources.
Where should I begin?
A useful first selection is Pastel de Nata, Portuguese Crème Brûlée, Floating Islands, Graciosa Milk Tartlets. The complete collection below also reveals lesser-known local specialities.