Where does Pastel de nata come from?

Pastel de nata — country of origin: Portugal.

What is Pastel de nata made of?

Puff pastry, egg yolk, milk, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest.

Which allergens does Pastel de nata contain?

Contains cereals and gluten-containing products. Contains eggs and egg products. Contains milk and milk products (including lactose).

How do you pronounce Pastel de nata?

Pastel de nata (European Portuguese) is pronounced /pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ/.

Pastel de nata

Pronunciation (IPA) /pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ/

A small custard tart in flaky, laminated pastry, baked hot enough to blister and darken on top — Portugal's best-known sweet and a fixture of every pastelaria counter.

Also known as: Pastel de Belém · Pastéis de nata · Egg tart

Allergens & declarations

Contains

Cereals (gluten)

Wheat

Contains cereals and gluten-containing products

Egg

Contains eggs and egg products

Milk (including Lactose)

Contains milk and milk products (including lactose)

This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.

In detail

Pastel de nata is a small custard tart in a thin, flaky pastry shell, baked hot enough to blister and darken on top — Portugal's best-known sweet and a fixture of every pastelaria counter.

What it really is

The pastry is rolled thin, coiled into a tight spiral and pressed into individual moulds, closer to puff pastry than shortcrust. It is filled with a custard of egg yolks, milk, sugar and a little flour, sometimes scented with cinnamon and lemon zest, then baked briefly at very high heat — hot enough that the custard blisters and browns in dark patches while the pastry underneath stays crisp.

The recipe is said to trace back to Lisbon's Jerónimos Monastery, where monks used egg yolks left over from starching habits with egg white. After Portugal's monasteries closed in 1834, the recipe passed to a nearby sugar refinery, which still bakes it today as pastel de Belém — the one name reserved by law to that bakery. Everywhere else, the tart is simply pastel de nata.

How it is served

Warm or at room temperature, never straight from the fridge.
Dusted with cinnamon and/or icing sugar at the table, not baked in.
Eaten by hand in two or three bites, usually alongside a coffee.

Say it is baked hot and fast — the dark, blistered top is correct, not burnt.
Mention the pastry is flaky and laminated, not a shortcrust base.
Note it is best fresh and warm; one made hours earlier is a different dessert.

Typical ingredients

Put it on your menu with Menuella

Frequently asked questions

What is Pastel de nata?: A small custard tart in flaky, laminated pastry, baked hot enough to blister and darken on top — Portugal's best-known sweet and a fixture of every pastelaria counter.
Where does Pastel de nata come from?: Pastel de nata — country of origin: Portugal.
What is Pastel de nata made of?: Puff pastry, egg yolk, milk, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest.
Which allergens does Pastel de nata contain?: Contains cereals and gluten-containing products. Contains eggs and egg products. Contains milk and milk products (including lactose).
What is Pastel de nata also known as?: Pastel de Belém, Pastéis de nata, Egg tart.
How do you pronounce Pastel de nata?: Pastel de nata (European Portuguese) is pronounced /pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ/. Select the speaker button next to the dish name to hear it.