Pasteis de Belém, Belem's Cake Shop

Pastel de Belém is believed to have been created before the 18th century by Catholic nuns at the Jerónimos Monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos of Belém, in Lisbon. The Casa Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon was the first place outside the convent selling the original creamy dessert - Pasteis de Nata.

The monastery was forced to closed during the upheaval which engulfed Portugal during the 1820's and the bakery continued to serve the delicious Pastel de Nata due this time the name was changed to Pastéis de Belém, after the name of the area. Since 1837, locals have gone there to get them warm out of the oven and sprinkled with the cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Pastéis de Belém and Pastéis de Nata are identical custard tarts but outside of the Belem district are more commonly called Pastéis de Nata. Image name - Pasteis de Belém - Belem's Cake Shop.