Pastéis de Nata
Thursday, July 13
Of course, a pastel de nata was a must on our first day in Portugal! The typical pastry made from puff pastry and homemade custard can now sometimes be found in bakeries in Hamburg, but of course it tastes best in its country of origin, Portugal.
In Porto you can find the little tarts (pl. Pastéis de Nata) for 1-3 euros in every bakery, making them the perfect little afternoon snack when you stroll through the city. All the pasteis de nata we ate during our stay in Portugal were delicious, but the ultimate insider tip for the best pasteis de nata came from my little brother, who regularly visits Portugal to go surfing. “The best Pastéis de Nata you can get are from supermarket Lidl in Portugal,” he texted me one day on WhatsApp. Although I was very skeptical at first, a few days later I went to Lidl and sure enough: in the Lidl bakery, lined up on a tray, I found the most beautiful Pastéis de Nata that I had ever seen! Perfectly golden brown edges and a yellow custard filling that was just the right amount of burned from baking. And all for just 39 cents. When we got home we tried the Natas we had bought and we were immediately impressed by the taste. I now have to officially agree with my brother: Apparently Lidl in Portugal really does have the very best Pastéis de Nata!
