Barriga de freira: the nun's belly sweet from Portugal

It takes a little nerve to order a dessert called "nun's belly". In Portugal it appears on feast days, served in a small bowl and dusted with cinnamon, and most people who eat it never think about the name.

The name is a joke, and a joke from the convent. According to the Portuguese Wikipedia, it comes from the character of convent desserts, made with egg yolks, sugar and whatever a monastery kitchen had to hand. The ingredients are not mysterious. The tone of the name is what gives it away: nuns and their sweets have always made people smile.

Perhaps a convent near Coimbra

The exact origin remains unclear. The same page links the sweet to the convent of Santa Ursula, near Coimbra, which is said to have been built at the start of the 13th century. It is a lead, not proof, and it should be read that way.

The context is better documented. In the 15th century sugar became more available in Portugal and the convents took it up; in the 16th century almost every monastery and convent practised confectionery, according to the English-language page on conventual sweets. The nuns earned an income from it, and the skills passed from one house to another.

Then the religious orders were dissolved in the 19th century. The convent gates closed, but the recipes did not disappear: they left the walls and reached family kitchens, village festivals and, later, the windows of pastry shops.

A recipe that takes its time

Barriga de freira is not improvised. A sugar syrup is prepared, then the egg yolks, almonds, cinnamon and pieces of bread are added. The mixture has to thicken over low heat for about forty-five minutes. That is where everything is decided: too fast and the eggs curdle; too slow and the sweet stays runny.

The bread plays a part that is often forgotten. It gives body and soaks up the sugar, which is what gives the sweet its velvety texture, very different from a plain custard.

It is served in small bowls, warm or cold, with ground cinnamon on top. Some households add grated coconut, others a red-fruit coulis. The classic version is the closest to what is told about the convents: almost nothing, and a lot of patience.

Why this sweet speaks to the diaspora

For the Portuguese community in Belgium, this kind of dessert recalls a kitchen of feasts and Sundays, where a sweet is made not to impress but to bring people together. It is made for a family, a neighbour, a meal that goes on a little longer.

At Wooly, the pastry closest to that spirit is the pastel de nata, the egg-custard tart we make in our shops in Etterbeek, Stockel, Uccle and Waterloo. To taste the convent heritage without waiting for a celebration, the pastel de nata category brings together our creations, and details of home delivery in Brussels are on a dedicated page.

For another convent story, read our article on the ovos moles of Aveiro, another sweet born of egg yolks and patience. And if you pass one of our shops, find our addresses and opening hours.

This sweet does not need a journey to be understood. A saucepan, a wooden spoon and a little time are enough: the rest, as in the convent, takes care of itself.

Sources: Wikipedia (pt), “Barriga de freira” ; Wikipedia (en), “Conventual sweets”.

Photo: Pimfa, “Cinco Barrigas de Freira”, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (public domain).