The origin of egg tarts
A brief story on the origin of egg tarts, and how they came to be so popular around the world
Ever wondered who created this small pastry that has taken the world by storm, from the West to the East and back? On this post we are going to spill the beans and briefly tell you how monks shaped this sugary delicacy and are responsible for millions of mouth burns (just try and have one straight from the oven).
From Europe with love, what are egg tarts?
A medieval kitchen represented in a painting
Known by many names such as custard tarts, egg tarts, flans pâtissier, egg custard tarts, this pastry consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard and baked. Portugal, England, and France have their own versions of this sweet, adding different kind of spices, ingredients and or different types of pastry.
Anglo-Norman variation
In England Custard plays a big role one on desserts. Derived from the Anglo-Norman (medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combination of ethnic Anglo-Saxons, Normans, and French, following the Norman conquest) word of Crustade meaning a kind of pie. The original versions of this sweet were called doucettes and darioles, and some reports say that they were served on the coronation banquet prepared for Henry IV in 1399.
Portuguese egg tart (Pastel de Nata) and its religious origins
Created on monasteries alongside with many of the best Portuguese Conventual desserts (they deserve their own post), Pastéis de Nata (plural-Portuguese egg tart or Portuguese egg custard tart) origins are not simple to trace. Being referenced in many 19th century texts and illustrations, pinpointing the exact place where they were created is most likely an impossible job, seeing that writing and documenting recipes and food was not popular as today.
The first clear written reference came from the Santa Clara of Évora convent. Written in 1729, the recipe for “Pastelinhos de Natta” by Maria Leocádia do Monte do Carmo, used a custard with the same base ingredients such as cream, egg yolks and sugar, cooked on puff pastry casings.
These recipes were probably shared among travelling and visiting monks amongst the several religious orders existing in Portugal at the time. The clergy having access to sugar and an excess of egg yolks (from using the whites for starching/pressing their habits) most certainly resorted to often cook these pastries.
The liberal turn for Portuguese egg tarts
Pedro IV (right bottom corner) and D.Miguel (left top corner)
It was not until mid-19th century that these pastries became available to the public in general. However, the reason behind it was everything but peaceful. The extinction of religious orders in Portugal started when the Jesuitas were expelled in 1759 during the kingdom of José I of Portugal and governance of the Marquês de Pombal. But in 1834, a royal decree was signed by Pedro IV of Portugal, abolishing every convent, monastery, college, and hospice. Emerging victorious from the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), the liberalist Pedro IV of Portugal reflected the anti-clergy and illuminist ideals coming from Europe, on a move to curb the power the clergy had on the traditional absolutist monarchy that had ruled until that period.
The commercial revolution for the Pastel de Nata
Some Belém egg tarts, a must in Lisbon
On an attempt to survive after the extinction of the religious orders, some monks from the Jerónimos monastery started to sell Portuguese egg tarts on a sugar cane factory next to the monastery. Named “Pastéis de Belém” (Belém egg tarts), due to the name of the region “Belém” on which the monastery and factory were located. This were the first commercially available Portuguese egg tarts, and still being prepared and sold using the secret monk recipe. The oldest and considered one the best Portuguese egg tarts “Pastéis de Belém” are a must on any trip to Lisbon. If you want to dive more into the Portuguese egg tart scene you can check here our local top picks for best egg tarts in town.
Asian egg tarts
Having its origins in Europe as we saw previously, egg tarts traveled to the Asian continent on the beginning of the 20th century. Introduced in China via Guangzhou in the 1940’s, they quickly spread to Hong Kong specially after World War II, especially on “tea houses” called cha chaan tengs. Portuguese first landed in the Guangzhou province in 1513, and Hong Kong became a British colony in the early 1840’s, so the connection to the original European Pastry was established through exploration and colonization. Different from their original counter parts, now a day’s Chinese egg tart is very popular pastry.
Macau egg tart
In 1989, British pharmacist Andrew Stow and his wife Margaret Wong opened Lord Stow’s Bakery in Coloane, where they sold a Macau-style egg tart that attempted to recreate the Portuguese egg tart (Pastel de Nata) that they got to know on a visit to Portugal. Having a deep connection to Portugal (Macau was a Portuguese colony from 1557-1999) this was a instant hit within the Macau inhabitants.
So what is your favorite egg tart?
Learn how to prepare your own Portuguese egg tart on one of our Pastel de Nata, Learn to Make your own cooking classes. Click here to know more or go to https://compadrecooking.pt/traditional-portuguese-cooking-school/pastel-de-nata/
Online Portuguese egg tart cooking class!
Can´t travel to Portugal? No problem! You can now learn how to make these amazing egg tarts from your kitchen. Order a Portuguese egg tart DIY kit online and get baking. Click here or go to https://compadrecooking.pt/portuguese-egg-tart-kit to order your kit today.
