Love the Pastel de Nata

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A recent trip to Paris Baguette, a newish French bakery in downtown Pleasant Hill, yielded a plethora of pastries and French delicacies. Among my favorites are the mochi donuts and the Pastel de Nata. From Eater Seattle:
Pasteis (Pastel) de nata, also known as Portuguese egg tarts, were invented by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon hundreds of years ago. At the time, monks and nuns used egg whites to starch their clothes (the past was a strange place), so they had a bunch of yolks lying around. Someone came up with the idea of putting egg custard in a pastry shell, sort of like a miniature pie, which is browned on top and sometimes sweetened with flavors like cinnamon.

Because of Portugal’s status as a colonial superpower, its culinary influence spread to Asia. particularly Macau (which was under Portuguese rule until 1999). Macanese-style egg tarts are known as po tat, which is eggier and less sweet than the pasteis de nata you’d get in Portugal. There is also a Hong Kong variant called dan tat, which isn’t browned on top and often has a shortcrust-style shell; this is more of a savory pastry you could have at breakfast, and it is often served at dim sum places.

It is impossible to walk down any street in Lisbon and not find pastel de nata for sale. Large shops, small shops, convenience stores, junk stores, tourist traps, and push carts all feature the national dessert. It is a great way to start the day with coffee, or to end the day with coffee. Caution: they are very addictive!

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