Portugal, with its rich variety of confections, is a nation of dessert lovers. Sweets abound: on holiday tables, in corner cafés, and as ever-present daily delights. Portuguese desserts can be generally characterized as exceptionally sweet, with a heavy emphasis on sugar and egg yolk combinations. These egg-based creations and a wide assortment of other sweet treats are consumed not only after meals, but also in the morning with a strong cup of Portuguese espresso, or in the afternoon as a midday indulgence. As so simply stated in Fabrico Próprio, a compendium of Portuguese confectionery: “We, the Portuguese, cannot live without cakes.”
