Pastéis de Chaves are traditional veal pastries from the city of Chaves in Northern Portugal. These half-moon pastries are made with crispy puff pastry and a minced veal filling. Pastéis de Chaves have over 150 years of tradition and carry the PGI (Protected Geographical Indications) label. They are simply delicious, and one of my favourite Portuguese savoury snacks! Continue to read to learn more about this irresistible Portuguese meat pastry!
Pastéis de Chaves – Northern Portugal’s Delicious Golden Pastries
Pastéis de Chaves were created in Chaves, a Northern Portuguese city bordering Spain.Their fame, however, extends way beyond the confines of Chaves, and the name Pastéis de Chaves evokes a specific image for the Portuguese. That is half moon pastries filled with minced veal and baked until crispy and golden. The process of making them is similar to that of pastéis de nata.
The puff pastry with countless buttery layers is rolled into a tight log and cut into slices of 2 to 3 cm. Each one of the slices are then manually shaped into a disk where the veal filling is placed on top. The traditional filling contains minced veal, olive oil, diced garlic and onions, bay leaves, bread crumbs, and parsley. The pastry is then sealed and baked revealing its many golden layers.
The Story Behind Chaves’ Celebrated Pastries
The story of Pastéis de Chaves starts in 1862, with an unknown woman that used to wander around Chaves selling odd shaped pastries. They were such a hit with the locals that she was always running out of them. A visionary pastelaria owner called Teresa Feliz Barreira then decided to buy the recipe from her, producing the pastéis for the next 22 years. Her shop ‘Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro’ was then sold to another lady which carried on the tradition for another 22 years.
In 1909, the shop was once again sold, during what would be the peak of Pastéis de Chaves. The pastries made their way to other parts of Portugal and all the way to then president Marechal Carmona in Lisbon. One of the oldest references to ‘pastel de Chaves’ is a 1937’s newspaper advertising announcing they can be shipped to any part of the country. From the 1940s onwards, many pastry shops in Chaves began to sell their own veal pastries, and the pastéis were no longer associated with a single establishment but with Chaves as a whole.
Pastéis de Chaves IGP
With the granting of a PGI (Protected Geographical Indications) label in 2015. It was further recognized as part of the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Chaves under European law. That means that only pastéis produced in the municipality of Chaves can carry the IGP label. Producers also must comply with specific production methods and ingredients for it to be considered an authentic Pastel de Chaves.
Where to Sample Pastéis de Chaves if you are in Chaves
Where to Buy Pastéis de Chaves Outside of Chaves
Since Pastéis de Chaves are a PGI product it’s a little difficult to find pastelarias that sell it outside of Chaves. However, you can still sample the authentic pastéis from other parts of the country, with some brands such as D’ Chaves guaranteeing a 24h delivery window and the pastéis in two sizes. Alternatively, you can also buy them uncooked from some local supermarkets such as Continente, and bake them yourself!
What are your favourite local pastries in Portugal? Let me know in the comments!