TourGuide to Porto's Conventual Sweets: traditions, flavors, knowledge and history

Conventual sweets in Portugal are one of the most emblematic expressions of the country's gastronomic heritage, deeply rooted in religious and cultural tradition. They emerged in convents and monasteries from the Middle Ages onward, reaching their peak between the 17th and 18th centuries. Nuns and monks, with limited access to ingredients but endowed with great ingenuity, created true culinary masterpieces with the products they had at hand—primarily eggs and sugar. Egg yolks, in particular, became the star of the show, as the whites were often used to iron habits and filter wines. Surplus egg yolks, combined with sugar from trade with Brazil, gave rise to a vast array of sweets that delight to this day. In Porto, this tradition finds a privileged stage. The city, although best known for its wines and historic architecture, is also home to true treasures of convent sweets. A three-hour walking tour of the historic center allows you not only to savor these delicacies but also to delve into the history of each one.