Many people know the egg tart, with its crisp crust, soft centre and rich egg flavour, but few know that this bake was born in the world of Christianity. Here is the history of the egg tart.
A Portuguese Monastery Invention
The egg tart is a Portuguese dessert. According to history, it was invented before the 16th century by Catholic monks at the Hieronymites Monastery in the civil parish of Saint Mary of Bethlehem (Belém) in Lisbon. At the time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg whites to starch clothing, leaving plenty of egg yolks. They used these yolks to make cakes and pastries, and that is how the egg tart came about.
From Monastery to Bakery
After the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and the dissolution of the religious orders, many convents and monasteries had to close. To earn an income, the monks and nuns began selling egg tarts at a nearby sugar refinery, and the tarts became hugely popular.
In 1837 the monastery closed, and the monks and nuns sold the recipe to the owner of the sugar refinery, who opened a bakery called "Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém" that same year. This was the beginning of the egg tart's spread around the world.
Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém remains the most popular place to buy egg tarts in Lisbon to this day. In 2009, The Guardian newspaper named it one of the "50 best things to eat" in the world, and it has more than 50,000 reviews and ratings on TripAdvisor for its iconic pastéis de nata.
What Makes an Egg Tart Special?
The defining feature of an egg tart is its scorched top, known as a "caramelized" surface, where the sugar on the top is baked until it chars. This comes from the ingredients and a special baking method that draws the sugar to the top, making it crisp, toasty and fragrant, just like the original.
If you travel to Portugal, don't miss the chance to taste egg tarts in their country of origin. Missing out would be like never having been there at all.
