Queijada

Queijada is a traditional pastry originating from Sintra. As mentioned in its name, queijada is prepared with a combination of queijo (cheese), eggs, milk, flour, and sugar. When properly baked, queijadas should have a fluffy crust on top. They can be bought at almost every pastry shop throughout Portugal. In medieval times, these small pies were used as a form of payment due to the fact that Sintra had great pastures and a surplus of fresh cheese which was used in the preparation of queijadas. Nowadays, there are many variations, such as the ones flavored with oranges (queijadas de laranja) and coconut (queijadas de coco). It is recommended to consume queijadas with a cup of espresso on the side.