What do foodies bring home as souvenirs from Portugal? Pasteis de nata tins, of course! You know, so you can make Portuguese egg tarts at home, because they’re easily one of the most delicious pastries in the country and great for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, teatime, dessert or supper.
There’s just one problem. As a tourist, pasteis de nata tins really, really difficult to find. I looked in stores. I asked pastelarias. Even Google didn’t have any answers. You know it’s bad when the internet rejects you. I begged every Portuguese tart shop I found to sell me some. It was like some sort of trade secret that they only shared with fellow Portuguese. Ten days in, I was getting pretty desperate.
Lucky for me, a lovely staff member named Daniel of Manteigaria, took pity on me. He made phone calls, he chased it up with the store owner, he even helped ask them to sell me some. As it turns out, bakeries buy pasteis de nata tins by the hundreds, and no they could would not sell me a dozen.
I begged the owner. I offered to pay double, triple, or really whatever price they thought fit. Still no deal. Eventually, the owner did manage to reach the other co-owner. The place they’d got them from was a wholesaler 30 kilometres away – they didn’t speak English and probably wouldn’t sell them to me in less than a hundred. I rationalised that given the lack of Google leads, that I could likely buy them, take them home and sell them for double what I paid paid back in Australia. Nick shot that idea down with just one look (I had just purchased 26 full sized dinner plates.) The pasteis dream was starting to fade.
Forty minutes later, at 10.30pm the night before our flight was due to leave Portugal, there was a lead. It would be a mad dash to try and find the shop, then make it to the airport the next morning but I really wanted those damn tart tins.
Long story short, as you can tell by the photo, I got them. Think Amazing Race style around the streets of Lisbon, with the wrong address on a map and the imminent danger of missing your flight for a dozen tart tins. Somehow, in amongst all that, I managed to take a couple of photos of the shopfronts – just so I could contribute to every foodie’s dream of having their own Portuguese pasteis de nata tins.
They’re about €0.85 each and here’s where you can find these magical tins.
If you’re not sure what size pasteis de nata tins to buy, err on the smaller size as home ovens do not get as hot as the industrial ones that give the pasteis their trademark dark brown caramelised spots on top.
Pollux
You’ll find their website, in Portuguese here. They have a stores in Lisbon, Porto, Amadora, Aviero (amazing cos there’s not much else there), Vila France de Xira and Almada, the full list is here.
Braz & Braz
You’ll find their website, in Portuguese here. It’s slightly cheaper and it’s a dangerous place to wander into if you like homewares. They have stores in Lisbon, São João da Talha and Almancil.
They can be pretty hard to find, so I’ve pinned them on a map for you –
You’re welcome. 😉 If you’ve found this helpful, please leave a comment so that I know my quest was not in vain.
Hi Tash!
I’m Portuguese and the tins I have, my mother gave me (she stil has ones since she married, about 40 years ago)…
But in the smallest of towns, in shops owned by very old people in very old buildings we can find those kinf of beauties. (but yeah… for tourists they are really hard to find)
Hope you liked Portugal!
Can’t believe you have had your mum’s tins for 40 years! There must be so loved. Do you by any chance want to share her recipe too? If I use it, of course I’ll credit your mum 🙂
I absolutely LOVED Portugal. Can’t wait to go back again – the food, the wine, the history and the spirit of the people that love their country so much made it one of our favourite new destinations.
As a matter of fact, she still has hers – they are older than me – she gave a new set a few years ago! (I guess I didn’t explain myself very well…)
She (and I ) don’t have the recipe of “pasteis de nata” – in Portugal there are many variations of the same recipe, and strangelly enough I still haven’t found one that satisfies me yet!
We use our tins to “queijadas”, another specialty that I like very much. (and can be used for muffins or cupcakes too…)
You can check one of the recipes for “queijada” here – Peach “queijadas” (my blog):
http://vaiumafatia.blogspot.pt/2012/08/queijadas-de-pessego.html
(on the rigth bottom of the page I have an app to translate to english, it turns out relatively ok )
There are many variations of these little “puddings” – with fruit, only milk, coconut, cottage cheese… You name, you’ll find it!
Ah… and I’m glad you liked this little corner by the sea! 🙂
I loved it. A LOT! Thanks for the recipe link – I will definitely try it soon 🙂 In the meantime, if you find a pasteis recipe, think of me. I’m desperate – I really miss them!
Well done Tash ! Now the recipe !
Haha, still testing I’m afraid. I hate using a silly amount of egg yolks in a recipe so I’m just tweaking and testing at the moment.
can you teach us how to make the egg tarts ? 🙂
Sure can, but I’ve got so much stuff to post before then – I’m still testing recipes too but I think there’s a very thoroughly researched piece at fellow Aussie’s blog Syrup and Tang to tide you over in the meantime http://www.syrupandtang.com/200811/pasteis-de-nata-portuguese-custard-tarts/
I’ll check that recipe also – maybe an aussie will have the recipe I’ll love 🙂
Portuguese people don’t often reveal the recipe, I don’t know why. But I’m Portuguese, and the best I’ve ever tasted (and I’ve tasted a lot of Pasteis, trust me) belong to a little café in Murtosa, near Aveiro!
Oh, don’t tell me that now – I’m craving them! Do you have a recipe you wouldn’t mind sharing?
Olá!
I don’t have a recipe for Pasteis de Nata, I do, however, have a recipe of Tarte de Nata (it’s like a pie, a giant pastel).
Too bad you didn’t get to taste the best Pastel de Nata !
Hello Tash,
Many thanks for the post. It saved me a lot of time 🙂 I easily found Pollux in Lisbon and bought long-awaited tins this week :). As for the recipe I use it is the one given by David Leite at leitesculinaria.com, tried to cook according to it several times, pasteis were delicious!!!
So glad you found it useful – it took me days to track those down! I even spent hours googling ‘pasteis tins’. Thanks for the recipe link too, can’t wait to try it out.
I’ve also spent hours googling for tins mentioned in February 2014. Your post wasn’t published yet and I failed to find them in Lisbon. Many-many thanks for the information! It helped so much during this trip to Portugal.
Just wanted to say thank you for tracking these down and posting the location. We were able to find them easily on the third floor at Pollux the night before we departed Portugal after two weeks of eating as many natas as we could find.
So glad it helped you! Wishing you lots more Pasteis, this time from the comforts of your home kitchen 🙂
Hi! I will be travelling t egypt from portugal next. And i would love to bring my friends boxes of pastel de nattas. I badly need tips on how to pack them. Is it advisable for me to just buy them at duty free in the port airport? I do have one stopover in germany. So im not sure if the airport security will allow me to handcarry them
Thank you! We baked these at a class but could not figure out where to get the fine until we came across your website.
Really you found it helpful – everyone should be able to make pasteis at home! I hope you don’t mind if I email you to ask for your recipe?
Thank you for posting this about the pasteis tins, i have been looking for them in America for a while. David Leite suggests a store in New Jersey but when I called they said they do not carry them anymore. Anyway, I am Portuguese American with family in the mainland of Portugal and the Azores Islands. Wanted to say that my family on the mainland lives in Aveiro (grandfather was born there) and there is certainly a lot to do and see despite what you said in your post. Did you actually visit there? It is beautiful and is called the Venice of Portugal. It has a very interesting modern university and a thriving new restaurant scene. The river that runs through town has many hand-painted gondolas which you can ride. In the center there are charming hidden tiled squares with outdoor cafes and lots of shops in tiled pedestrian only alleys. Lots more to tell but you should go and see for yourself.
I think we made a mistake and went in the off season to Aviero. Lots of things were closed, so just bad timing on our part. It certainly looked like a postcard – very gorgeous indeed! It was quite a few years ago now though, I’m sure the restaurant scene is just getting better and better.
Thanks for the information! Do you happen to have the dimensions for the moulds?
Thank you very much for that map i been today and buy them in pollux . i had just 1 and half day in lisbon so no time to look everywhere. 🙂
Greetings from Lisbon.
Your tips are still going strong! Doing a class later but wanted tins to take home! Found Braz & Braz easily and got them for 0.88€ each! Thanks for your help!
May your table and tummy always be filled with delicious pasteis! Glad it helped and you found them ok.
Hello! Loved reading your pasteis de nata adventure. Would it be possible for you to share the number of the person who supplies the moulds to manteigaria? My wife is a pastry chef in new delhi, and she is keen to order a lot of moulds – the 100 minimum order is ok for us. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, we easily found it at Braz & Braz and you made our quest for the tins so much more efficient than I was afraid it would turn out to be. Your information was spot on and it was easy to find exactly where to go.
Now we can try making the pasteis de nata as well as the Papos de Anjo (“angel’s double chin”) we were taught at a cooking class there. Thanks again!
Hi,
Thanks so much for the blog, I found it very interesting. I don’t think I’ll be going to Lisbon in the foreseeable, so I looked at the websites you listed. Unfortunately they don’t seem to sell the tins online. Can you suggest any other sites?
Best wishes.
Debbie
🙂
Do you happen to remember the name of the wholesaler that sells the tins 30 kilometres away from Lisbon?
I don’t, unfortunately – racking my brain but I can’t think of it!
Hi Tash
I just came across your blog, very interesting but I am not going to Portugal any time soon so am hoping to find some good tins to buy online – I think they are now a little easier to find though much more expensive than buying in Portugal. I’ve just watched a programme wich featured a young Portuguese baker and I’m now inspired to make them myself. Unfortunately they didn’t give quantities of ingredients! I expect you have long since perfected your own recipe but if not here is a link to one by a well known British baker. I
http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/pauls-pasteis-de-nata/
Thanks for your research and posting- just got my own tins quite easily thanks to your post.
Thanks so much Tash for all this info. Just got back from Portugal (Tavira) and now I can’t believe I didn’t try to buy some tins whilst I was out there! I didn’t think it would be this hard to get good ones! Do you happen to know what your ‘authentic’ tins are made of? Stainless steel? Aluminium? I have a bakery in Wales and I’m very keen to try making them (I did 3 different puff pastry trials today – hoping to replicate the most amazing flaky, layered, buttery pastry which encased the ones in Mira cafe, Tavira). Also, do you (or anyone else) know of an online shop where I can find them? Couldn’t see them on Pollux or Braz Braz. Thanks for your help, Jack : )
Ahh I haven’t seen them online, but maybe someone on here will be able to help?
Hi Tash～
Thanks for the sharing. I’m trying to get it online as well. It is still hard to get the authentic one. May I ask what is this tin made of? Is it aluminum or Folha de Flandres？
hello.
I toppled on your site while in my quest to find tin molds for pasteis de nata… I am in the USA. Amazon has but they’re smaller I think than what I’ve read elsewhere. Should I use the 3″ mold or keep searching for the 4″? Your store tips were great, I am looking forward to visiting Portugal in the near future when this pandemic thing has gone away enough for traveling.
thank you!
Hi Rebecca, I don’t know how I missed this comment! 3″ sounds perfect, I would think. I don’t have mine to hand to measure unfortunately, but they sound about right for what I’ve seen at Pasteis bakeries.
Can you please post a photograph the dimensions of the tart tin, top diameter, inside bottom diameter, inside height. On Amazon there are fluted 3″x2.5″x1″ Chinese tart mold, but the dough shrink yielding a 0.7″ short pateis de nata.
Hi John, I’m afraid I don’t have them with me at the moment as we’ve moved house. Dough shrinkage is a completely separate issue though – you may choose to address the method dough or to purchase a larger tart case to combat it.
I have a 2024 update for anyone who stumbles on this post! I just got back from Lisbon and loved it! I did go on a quest to find Pastel de Nata tins after stumbling on this blog post.
Pollux is open and has two locations next to each other. One is only open to professionals – they booted me out sent me next door to the public store, which unfortunately is only dishware/ tableware, cutlery, etc. They didn’t have any baking supplies.
Braz & Braz is no longer in business, as far as I could tell. There was another tiny kitchen supply shop just one storefront down from Pollux called Big Choice (288 R. dos Fanqueiros), but they were closed when I walked by.
However, the very last day I was in Lisbon, I wandered into a MyAuchan supermarket (R. Pedro Nunes 27A) around the corner from my hotel to grab some water, and found the tart pans in their tiny housewares section! It looks like Amazon also carries them (they have a more expensive set that comes with a recipe/ instruction card).
Thanks for this very detailed update Sara – I’m sure the pasteis hunters out there will find it very useful.
Update from July 2024. Pollux (the home goods location) indeed only has dishware and cutlery—on the first floor. But there are four floors. The second floor is the one with bakeware and it has pasteis de nata tins in a dozen different sizes and materials. Just ask an employee for help and they’ll point you in the right direction.
Legend! Thanks Steve. Loving the community keeping this resource updated.
Thanks for the update, Steve! Did you find them in the store in Lisbon or another location?