So glad to see this posted as I am visiting Portugal for xmas and saw this crazy thing in the grocery store yesterday. It looked like it was covered in grated Taco Bell cheese. Now I am wishing I would have bought one. Got the rabanadas and sonhos though leading to happy xmas kids.
This excess of egg yolks is also a strong characteristic of Portuguese pastry. A lot of Portuguese sweets are egg yolk (and cholesterol) rich: pastéis de nata (Portuguese Tarts), leite-creme (lemony custard), pastéis de Santa Clara, ambrosia, fios de ovos (the "angel hair" seen in the link above), etc...
The main reason is that many of these recipes were developed by nuns in convents. Convents were the places were the "unwanted" women would be "placed" in Catholic patriarchal societies. In ancient times a source of income for these convents was to wash rich people's clothes. After washing the linens, they had to be ironed and a common ingredient for starching and making them crisp smooth was egg whites. Because of this they'd have an immense supply of egg yolks that they began using for making pastries, after sugar plantations where introduced in Madeira island and Brazil, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Just look at the huge amount of yellow on those pictures.
To the "egg whites were used for starching rich people's clothes" (engomar os fatos dos homem mais ricos) they add another one: filtering impurities in wine. Probably they'd mix egg whites with wine, warm it to coagulate the whites so they'd grab impurities in wine and make it easier to filter them.
I always figured it had something to do with lactose intolerance. Somewhere between 40 and 50% of the population are intolerant which is high compared to most of western Europe.
I'm so glad to see this! I saw this explanation in a Lisbon museum a long time ago about this and always wondered if I'd imagined it. The expanse of egg yolk desserts is so distinct to Portugal. My favorite remains the chocolate mousse, not full of air like the French style but thick and with a touch of sea salt. So good when it's done well.
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[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 32.4 ms ] threadIt’s just too sweet for me
The main reason is that many of these recipes were developed by nuns in convents. Convents were the places were the "unwanted" women would be "placed" in Catholic patriarchal societies. In ancient times a source of income for these convents was to wash rich people's clothes. After washing the linens, they had to be ironed and a common ingredient for starching and making them crisp smooth was egg whites. Because of this they'd have an immense supply of egg yolks that they began using for making pastries, after sugar plantations where introduced in Madeira island and Brazil, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Would you have any references on the subject? If so, would you mind sharing in here?
I read it in an old recipe book, probably out of print. But after you asked, I tried to find an online reference and got this one: https://www.portugalthings.com/portuguese-conventual-sweets/
Just look at the huge amount of yellow on those pictures.
To the "egg whites were used for starching rich people's clothes" (engomar os fatos dos homem mais ricos) they add another one: filtering impurities in wine. Probably they'd mix egg whites with wine, warm it to coagulate the whites so they'd grab impurities in wine and make it easier to filter them.
Henry I of England reportedly died from eating too many of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England
Interesting facts there too, learned something new today.