At Porto Secreto we like to cover the best of the Invicta city (and beyond), from restaurants a museums not forgetting exhibitions e immersive experiences. However, a dip in the world of sweets is always good, isn’t it? That’s why we want to highlight our favorite sweets from Porto’s pastry shops.
Berlin balls, custard tarts, chocolate eclairs. .. in short, the list is really delicious (and the order is random). The truth is that we love each and every one of these sweets, and it seems almost impossible to choose. Do you have a favorite sweet from the local patisseries?
Table Of Contents
Rice Cake
The rice cake may be one of the simplest cakes in the confectionery shops, but it is timeless and part of the collective imagination of all Portuguese.
As children, we all ate them and there are few rituals as enchanting as unrolling tracing paper. When you’re looking for a simpler snack, rice cake is the way to go!
Berlin ball
With or without cream, the Berlin ball is one of the cakes with the most fans and it must also be one of the most eye-catching confectionery products.
Although it is already part of Portuguese confectionery, the truth is that the recipe is German and arrived in Portugal at the hands of Jewish families who took refuge in our country during World War II. They taste best on the beach, but they never disappoint in the city either!
Thousand Leaves
The mille-feuille is almost an institution here in Porto, where it is common to see it being eaten with a spoon (a coffee spoon!) to better savor its delicious filling. It’s another typical Portuguese sweet that already has a place in our hearts!
Chocolate Éclair
Although the variety of éclairs is great, for us the best will always be the classic, with chocolate and whipped cream.
The delicious elongated cakes stand out for their use of choux pastry which, when baked, takes on a thin crust, a hollow interior and an “inflated” look.
Jesuit
Made from puff pastry and sugar, Jesuits have the most peculiar shape on this list: they are triangular cakes where egg cream plays the main role. Their origin is unclear, but some believe that they first appeared in Santo Tirso.
The truth is that they are a constant in Porto’s patisseries and have gained a prominent place in the preferences of the Portuguese!
Queijada
There are so many varieties of queijadas that we decided to include the general category in this list. We love them all: the orange ones, the milk ones, the Sintra ones, the carrot ones, the lemon ones… The list goes on and on! They have a moist texture and are great as a snack , breakfast or dessert.
Hungarians
When you’re craving a sweet treat but your conscience is weighing you down, Hungarians are the right choice. They are the perfect size to sweeten your mouth without overdoing it and the two halves, one without chocolate, the other with, coexist in perfect balance. They’re our favorite assortment!
Napoleon
In Porto it’s called napoleão, but in Lisbon it’s called mil folhas. The recipe, inspired by French pastry, calls for the use of puff pastry and cream filling. It’s usually covered with icing made from sugar and chocolate and the hardest part is sharing it!
Chocolate Salami
Salami must be the cake that doesn’t fail in the birthday parties of the little ones. Who doesn’t remember unwrapping the aluminum foil to carve this tasty cake with gusto?
The Maria cookie gives it a crunchy texture and the recipe is very simple to make. Many families even have their own homemade recipe, which is passed down from generation to generation!
Pastel de Nata
No matter how many cakes they invent, the simplicity of the pastel de nata has a captive place in our hearts. We like them warm, with cinnamon, and with a cup of coffee! What better combination? It’s our stomach’s favorite!
