History of the Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata were originally created in the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém, in Lisbon. Convents and monasteries used huge quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes at that time. It was quite common for them to use the leftover egg yolks to make cakes and pastries. This is how it all started, by a large amount of leftover egg yolks. But this pastry was such a hit, it became Portugal’s most beloved and the most well-known dessert internationally.