Arcos Golden Sugar Candies
Also known as: Arcos Golden Sugar Candies
Hand-pulled golden sugar candies, cut by hand and wrapped in tissue paper.
- Origin
- Arcos de Valdevez · Upper Minho
- Region
- Arcos de Valdevez
- Season
- Year-round
Rebuçados dos Arcos begin as sugar syrup cooked to the golden hard-candy stage. While still hot, the mass is pulled and folded on a greased marble table until smooth and even; it is then formed into a rod about 2.5 centimetres wide and struck into cylinders roughly 3 centimetres long.
Each hard translucent piece is individually wrapped in pale tissue paper, often in assorted colours. The genuine recipe contains no flavouring: its taste is simply sugar caramelised to the exact stage, clean and persistent.
- white granulated sugar
- water
- butter or olive oil for greasing
Pure golden sugar, hard and glassy, with a delicate caramel note.
The traditional recipe is unflavoured; home versions may add lemon, orange, vanilla or fennel.
At Doçaria Central and other pastry shops and retailers in Arcos de Valdevez, sold individually.
Coffee or tea; they also make a traditional travel souvenir.
Unlike the convent-inspired Charutos dos Arcos, municipal tourism describes these candies as probably popular in origin. The original recipe became associated with Doçaria Central, founded in 1830 and still selling them in Arcos de Valdevez. The municipality now presents them as one of the area's signature sweets.
Sources: visitarcos.pt · visitarcos.pt · cmav.pt
Pastries from here — The North
Portuguese icon A Bella Queijadinha de Barcelos
A white star of almond, preserved fruit and family memory.
The North
Portuguese icon Sweet Vermicelli
Fine wheat threads simmered in milk and yolk, scored with cinnamon.
The North
Portuguese icon Alféloa
Sugar and molasses pulled by hand until they lighten.
The North
Portuguese icon Amarantinos
Small egg, lemon and cinnamon cakes from Amarante's convent table.
The North