''Torta de Azeitão'' is a Portuguese
roll cake
A Swiss roll, jelly roll (United States), roll cake, cream roll, roulade, Swiss log or swiss cake is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, icing, or any type of filling. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of ...
filled with from the parish of
Azeitão.
History
The cakes are believed to have originated in
Fronteira,
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" ().
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...
in the late 1800s.
The recipe was purchased by Manuel Rodrigues from the "O Cego" () which was established in 1901 in
Azeitão. Rodrigues, the namesake of the pastry shop as he was blind, gave the recipe to his wife Maria Albina who was an accomplished confectioner.
The cakes were originally made as a large cake that was sliced into individual servings. But eventually, the cakes were made into smaller individual cakes seen today.
José Augusto Pinto is the current owner of the ''O Cego'', who started baking at the age of fifteen. The ''pastelaria'' was purchased by his father Augusto Pinto from Rodrigues in 1975. Pinto continues to recreate the original ''Torta de Azeitão''
recipe and other recipes created by Maria Albina. While ''O Cego'' remains the origin of the ''Tortas de Azeitão'', other ''pastelaria'' in
Azeitão offer the pastry as well. Another shop offers the pastry in other filling flavors, such as .
Although not considered a
conventual sweet
Conventual sweets () are a typical part of the Portuguese cuisine and a generic term to a variety of sweets in Portugal. As the name implies, conventual sweets were made by nuns who lived in the Portuguese convents and monasteries. Starting in the ...
, it shares many of its egg-rich characteristics. Notably, the sponge cake is made with
maize flour
Maize flour or corn flour is a flour ground from dried maize (corn).Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', Third Edition, Pg. 165, Barrons Educational Series Inc, 2001 It is a common staple food, and is Mill (grinding), ground to coarse, med ...
instead of
wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...
.
A similar roll cake made of
wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...
and filled with ''doces de ovos'' is found in
Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo () is a concelho, municipality and seat of the district of Viana do Castelo District, Viana do Castelo in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2021 was 85,778, in an area of . The urbanized are ...
known as is classified as a conventual sweet.
See also
*
Portuguese Cuisine
Portuguese cuisine () consists of the traditions and practices of cooking in Portugal. The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dish ...
*
Pão de Ló
''Pão de Ló'' (plural: ''pães de ló'') is a Portuguese cuisine, Portuguese sponge cake made of eggs as food, eggs, sugar, and wheat flour. Unlike other cakes or breads, yeast or baking powder is generally not used. Rather, to provide volume, a ...
References
{{Portuguese cuisine, state=expand
Sponge cakes
Portuguese egg dishes
Stuffed desserts
Foods with jam
Portuguese cakes