Nº 074 Viana Manjericos
Convent Sweets · The North

Viana Manjericos

Also known as: Viana Manjericos

A crisp wafer cup crowned with piped egg-yolk sweet.

Origin
Viana do Castelo · 1970
Place
Viana do Castelo
Region
The North
Category
Convent Sweets
Season
Year-round
Evidence
Well documented
Sweetness
Richness
Difficulty

Manjericos de Viana combine a small wafer or vanilla cup with a generous egg-yolk sweet, sometimes enriched with almond. The filling is piped above the rim so that the whole resembles a pot holding the aromatic herb after which it is named.

The wafer snaps first, followed by the dense, silky egg filling. Its recognisable shape and contrast between dry shell and moist centre have made it a familiar sight in Viana do Castelo pastry cases.

Ingredients
  • egg yolks
  • sugar
  • almond
  • wafer or vanilla cup
Taste & texture

Rich, soft egg-yolk sweet with an almond note and the light crunch of wafer.

Variations

The almond proportion and cup recipe vary between confectioners; some versions keep the egg filling smooth, while others pipe it high.

Where to try it

At traditional confectioners in central Viana do Castelo, including historic shops associated with the speciality.

Pairs well with

Espresso or white Port.

History

The speciality is reported to have been created in 1970 at a Viana do Castelo confectionery. The idea was to fill a wafer cup with a house egg-yolk sweet and pipe the top until it resembled a potted basil plant. The municipality and the Eixo Atlántico tourism guide now include Manjericos among the city's characteristic sweets.

Documentary basis

Well documented

4 sources

Identity supported by institutional, specialist or corroborating sources.

  1. cm-viana-castelo.pt/visite-viana/descobrir-viana/gastronomia-e-vinhos/curiosidades-gastronomicas (opens in a new tab)
  2. vive.eixoatlantico.com/en/comida-bebida/viana-do-castelo/dulces/ (opens in a new tab)
  3. rotadosdocesnortelitoral.wordpress.com/doces-de-viana/ (opens in a new tab)
  4. olharvianadocastelo.pt/2015/03/casa-brasileira-113-anos-adocar-boca.html (opens in a new tab)
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