Taste Of Tradition: Pasteis de Belem

 In the Belem district of Lisbon, there is the famous and ancient Pasteis de Belem, established since 1837 where they still make the flaky pastel de Belem, custard tarts that originated from the ancient recipes of the monks that lived in the nearby Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. They still make it by hand and then baked to its sweet perfection. When we visited, there was a long line outside. It was busy inside with all the tables full. I tried the hot chocolate together with the tarts. It was so delicious, the flakes so delicate, the custard so light and sweet at the same time. As you can see, the visitors in the line all looked so serious. Who would have thought that buying the pastel de Belem is still serious business in the 21st Century?  For someone with a sweet tooth like me, visiting the original place where the Portuguese tarts began is definitely worth a visit.