Eat Claudinos, not Pastéis de Nata, in Costa da Caparica, Portugal

Many vacationers visiting Lisbon by no means go away the town heart, unable to tear themselves from the tile-lined buildings, charming cobblestone alleys, and — after all — the picture-perfect pastéis de nata served on each nook. Few are prepared to cross the long-lasting Golden Gate-esque 25 de Abril Bridge to succeed in Costa da Caparica, even to stay their toes within the pale beige sand of the closest seashores to the Portuguese capital. And that’s simply positive with residents; extra claudinos for the locals.

The lengthy, cigar-shaped, flaky pastry crammed with velvety cream is ubiquitous on the south financial institution of the Tagus River. It originated at native pastry store Papo-Seco earlier than spreading to different close by retailers. Pastelaria O Capote, the usual bearer of the shape at present, generates lengthy queues that snake out the entrance of the store on heat summer season days. The pastry has even hopped the river and breached Lisbon, gaining floor in a metropolis already overloaded with sweets as numerous because the azulejos patterns protecting historical partitions.

Although you may spot one in your subsequent tour of Lisbon, the easiest way to take pleasure in a claudino is in its native atmosphere in Costa da Caparica.

What’s a claudino precisely?

Like most Portuguese sweets, claudinos are an iteration of that tireless duo of sugar and egg yolk, which come collectively in a wealthy pastry cream together with heat milk and a few type of starch to offer construction. Not like different native pastries although, claudinos weren’t developed centuries in the past in a monastery or convent. Within the Eighties, an unidentified pastry chef at Papo-Seco was testing new recipes after they determined to sprinkle sugar on their puff pastry earlier than baking, then use pastry cream as a filling. The consequence turned out higher than anticipated and it grew to become an on the spot hit with locals. When Papo-Seco closed its doorways 10 years later, a few of the former cooks remained in Costa da Caparica and located work simply down Rua dos Pescadores at O Capote — and so they took the claudino recipe with them to their new employer.

Portuguese pastries, together with beloved pastéis de nata, are designed to pair with espresso, delivering the proper little hit of sugar. That’s true of claudinos as properly. However the trendy claudino has a bonus over its historical spherical competitor: A claudino is the “excellent form to be loved with a espresso within the different hand,” says Magda Costa, the supervisor of O Capote.

“A claudino has a narrower, extra anatomical and ergonomic form, which is less complicated to seize and matches completely within the mouth,” agrees designer Rita João, editor of Fabrico Proprio: The Design of Portuguese Semi-Industrial Confectionery, which traces the creation of many Portuguese sweets. She explains that the recipe that appeared at O Capote is a model of one other conventional Portuguese candy, the parra, however in a form impressed by French eclairs.

“As a result of it has much less floor space [compared to a parra], the pastry cooks evenly,” João explains. With its lengthy, skinny form and open aspect, “it’s additionally simpler so as to add the filling, which is handmade, with out using semi-industrial egg lotions which might be already so frequent throughout the nation.” Because the recipe requires puff pastry as a substitute of the pâte à choux frequent in French pastries, the claudino isn’t as hole as an eclair, making it simpler to stability the proportion of dough to cream. The innovation at Papo-Seco, to sprinkle sugar over the dough earlier than placing it into the oven, additionally creates a shiny glaze on the floor. “It’s a successful mixture of form, textures, and flavors,” João says.

Claudinos appeal to individuals from everywhere in the nation, particularly throughout summer season when Costa da Caparica receives hordes of vacationers. However claudinos should not restricted to the most well liked days of the yr. “It’s our flagship all year-round. There isn’t a day that we don’t promote at the very least one,” says Costa. The candy has develop into so standard that O Capote receives orders for large claudinos (as much as two kilos every) to function birthday muffins.

Not by probability, claudinos have gained area on countertop shows in pastry retailers in downtown Lisbon. A Tentadora, a restaurant opened in 1912 within the Campo de Ourique neighborhood, added claudinos six years in the past, and the southern candy represents 10 % of every day gross sales. “Increasingly individuals order a claudino right here. They know that we do it and are available searching for it,” says supervisor Carlos Faria.

The unique recipe stays a well-kept secret at O Capote, however a common commonplace has circulated amongst competing retailers — though some want to make use of egg cream as a filling.

The place to get one

O Capote

Batches of claudinos come out of the ovens at O Capote all day lengthy. Cease by at breakfast to take pleasure in one with a meia de leite, the native tackle espresso with milk. Or swing by within the afternoon, when a claudino makes the perfect post-beach snack.
40 Rua dos Pescadores, Costa da Caparica, 2825-386

Pastelaria Copacabana

On the identical road as O Capote, Pastelaria Copacabana opened 5 many years in the past in Costa de Caparica. Like its well-known neighbor, it serves claudinos with conventional pastry cream. The pastry chef, Joaquim Pires, arrives every single day at 3 a.m. to make sure the pastry is crispy when the primary visitors arrive.
3-4 Rua dos Pescadores, Costa da Caparica, 2825-345

Xandite

Inaugurated in 1970, Xandite has three branches in Costa da Caparica. The one on Rua Dom João is the traditional location, with hand-painted tiles protecting the partitions. The chain concentrates manufacturing of their central kitchen, delivering contemporary claudinos (made with egg cream) every morning — however they don’t final lengthy.
11 R. Dom João VI, Costa da Caparica, 2825-322

Rafael Tonon is a journalist and meals author residing between Brazil and Portugal. He’s the creator of the guide The Meals Revolutions.

Humberto Mouco is a Portuguese photographer and resident of Lisbon. He has been capturing professionally, particularly specializing in portraits and meals, since 1994.