— Near Lisbon

Óbidos

~ saltofportugal ~ 1 Comment

Imagine that the year is 1282 and that you are king D. Dinis. What wedding present would you choose to impress your bride, Isabel of Aragon?

1) a passionate “cantiga de amor” (a medieval love poem);

2) a state-of-the art ship that can crest ocean waves without capsizing;

3) silk and jewels;

4) a medieval town.

If you guessed 4), you are correct. King Dinis offered Queen Isabel the town of Óbidos. And, while the gift might seem extravagant, Queen Isabel repaid it many times over by helping the poor and maintaining peace in the realm.

Óbidos’ beauty is unique. Inside the castle walls it is easy to imagine we are in the Middle Ages and that we might bump into the “Lidador,” the knight who helped conquer the town in 1148.

If you cannot afford giving your loved one a medieval town, you can settle for the next best thing: a visit to Óbidos.

Queijadas de Sintra

~ saltofportugal ~ 2 Comments


Queijadas de Sintra are cheese tarts made from fresh cow’s cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. There are several producers and there is even an association that certifies whether the recipe is authentic. The ones featured here are from Casa do Preto (Estrada Chão Meninos, 44, Sintra).

Historians think that the first Sintra queijadas were produced in the Middle Ages (presumably without cinnamon). It is easy to believe that it has taken a few centuries to figure out how to make the shell so thin and the filling so moist and flavorful. And, if you try them, you will see that all this effort has paid off.