While In Belem ©

You can't be in the Belem part of Lisbon and not go to the famous Pasteis de Belem bakery. This is where the confection of Belém’s Pastries began in 1837 and the recipe remains exactly the same to this day. History tells us that in the early 19th century, in Belém, right next to Jerónimos Monastery, there was a sugar cane refinery connected to a small shop. Because of the 1820 Liberal Revolution, all Portuguese convents and monasteries were closed down years later and, consequently, all workers and clergy were expelled from them. In an attempt to survive, someone from the Monastery placed sweet pastries for sale at the small shop, which quickly became known as "Pastéis de Belém" (Belém Pastries) given the location where they were sold and the recipe remains exactly the same to this day. And to this day, the Belém Pastries are baked in the "Secret Shop". The room has this name for the most obvious reason: the recipe isn’t shared with anyone, it’s patented and the master confectioners sign a confidentiality agreement, pledging not to disclose the way the most famous pastries in the country are made. Despite the fact that these Custard Tarts exist all over the country and that there are versions of these sweets in almost every city in Portugal, the Belém Pastry only exists in Belém and its secret recipe guarantees a unique and unforgettable culinary experience. It’s no coincidence that these pastries are so famous. Between tourists and locals, it’s estimated that every day 20,000 Belém Pastries are sold and, during some weekends, this number may double. There is an old Portuguese proverb that says "A bride who eats a Belem pastry will never take off her ring" and so it is fairly common to see newlywed couples, dressed as bride and groom, at Lisbon’s most Portuguese bakery. All images are taken with a Canon 5D III (full frame) and a Canon 7D II (crop frame) using a variety of Canon L-Series lenses, and Tamron and Sigma pro-line lenses; processed in RAW with ACR, PSC, Photomatix, and a variety of other imaging software. All images are Copyright © 2020 Hany G. Jadaa; C.Chem. M.Sc. Eng.; and Copyright © 2020 Prince John Photography (the Artist). The material contained herein may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or downloaded in any way, shape or form. All rights are reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the Artist is strictly prohibited and will be prosecuted under US, Canadian, European, and Australian Copyright laws. Image is available for purchase at higher resolution and no copyright stamps upon request. Please contact the artist directly at pjphotography@uniserve.com

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