HAVE A SWEET WEEKEND...

The pastel de Belém has become acclaimed as the king of Portuguese pastries. Appreciated all around the world, it is often-copied-yet-never-bettered. The recipe is a zealously kept secret and its confection only takes place in this old patisserie in Belém (a neighbourhood close to mine).

Pls don't miss reading on to understand why.

Only one handful of people know the secret recipe, whose holders are required to be tall, alcohol-free and no-smokers. Why? The tradition since1728 so dictates.
The magic begins in a 'secret room' where, with the door fully closed, the master pastry chefs make the pastry and the cream. The process runs through different phases and rooms where nothing can be neglected. Everything is made by hand!

A few years ago, Killian Fox, from “The Observer”, roamed the globe with a few top experts in world cuisine in search of the best delicacies. And guess what? Among 50 other best things to eat, the pastéis de Belém were listed in 15th place with this description: “Creamy, flaky custard tarts – served warm with cinnamon – are one of Portugal’s great culinary gifts to the world.”

Every time I pass by the patisserie - very seldom I get into, unless I'm attending some foreign friend (I don't like the pastel very much) - I see queues of foreigners, sometimes so long that I always admire their patience.

The patisserie is the largest one in Lisbon, not to say the largest in Portugal. It has several rooms, each one with many seats and tables. The interior is decorated in a traditional style 

The old cash register

The original baking wares and other utensils

On a good Sunday, they sell some 50,000 units, each one weighing no more than 60 grammes and containing 120 calories.

~~ Enjoy the weekend! ~~