What is Pastel de nata?
{{Infobox food|image=Pasteis_de_Belem.jpg|name=Pastel de nata|country={{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]|type=[[Custard tart]]|course=[[Dessert]]}} '''''Pastel de nata''''' is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry made with [[cinnamon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/18/custard-tart-brits-portugal-pasteis-de-nata|title=Custard tart fight: can the British version ever compete with Portugal's pastéis de nata?|newspaper=The Guardian|date=18 February 2015|author=Julian Baggini}}</ref> Not only popular in [[Portugal]], they are also popular in other parts of [[Western Europe]], [[Asia]] and in former Portuguese colonies such as [[Brazil]], [[Mozambique]], [[Macau]] and [[East Timor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infobudaya.net/2017/09/3-kudapan-khas-jakarta-hasil-akulturasi-budaya/|title=3 KUDAPAN KHAS JAKARTA HASIL AKULTURASI BUDAYA|language=id|date=2017-09-18|website=infobudaya.net}}</ref> == History == ''Pastéis de nata'' were created by Catholic monks at the [[Jerónimos Monastery|Hieronymites Monastery]] in Saint Mary of Bethlehem, in Lisbon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/a-brief-introduction-to-pastel-de-nata-portuguese-custard-tarts/|title=A Brief Introduction to Pastel De Nata, Portuguese Custard Tarts|first=Nina|last=Santos|website=Culture Trip|date=26 February 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref> During that time, convents and monasteries used egg-whites for starching clothes being part of their religious habits. They also used the leftover egg yolks to make cakes and sweet pastries. After the Liberal Revolution of 1820 in Portugal, people abandoned religion and closed down many convents and monasteries, the monks started selling ''pastéis de nata'' to bring in income. In 1834, the monastery was closed and the recipes sold to the sugar refinery owners. In 1837, the super refinery owners opened the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém and made pastries.<ref>{{Cite news|date=12 August 2012|title=175 anos de pastéis de