Here's Why You Need To Try Portugal's Bola De Berlim On Your Next Trip To Portugal

These days, it seems like everyone has heard about Lisbon and her delicious, egg tart pastries called pasteis de nata, but they aren’t the only desserts worth trying. In fact, pastry-filled cafés and bakeries take over the streets, outnumbering most other businesses in the country, and in addition to pasteis de nata, these venues sell plenty more desserts, each deserving of their own feature. In this one, however, Culture Trip introduces you to bolas de Berlim.

As their name suggests, bolas de Berlim are balls of cream-filled dough that are Portugal’s spin on Germany’s Berliner doughnuts. Slightly larger than their namesake, bolas de Berlim are sliced in half around the middle and filled with an egg-based cream typical in Portuguese desserts. This is one major difference from Germany where Berliners are filled with a variety of jams and icing. In Portugal, they also go by the name Sonhos de Padaria, or Bakery Dreams.

Fluffy on the outside but thick and creamy on the inside, these sweets easily overwhelm the senses and have become a national favorite that’s super easy to find. One surprising spot, however, is the Portuguese coast; vendors literally walk around the beaches holding containers filled with bolinhas, or “little balls,” announcing their sale. Despite being small, sugar-covered calorie bombs, locals rarely hesitate before buying one or more to enjoy while sunbathing.

So why should you try them on your next trip? Not only are they a staple dessert, but they are delicious. Also, eating bolas de Berlim is a good way to get acquainted with creme pasteleiro, known as confectioner’s cream in English, which the Portuguese use in many of their desserts.

Some recommendations, like that from The Guardian, suggest seeking them out in the north of the country, for instance, near Viana do Castelo, but no matter where they are found, these desserts will satisfy any sweet tooth and leave the eater with a sugary smile. A few special pastelarias (pastry shops) that are worth a visit, however, include Lisbon’s Confeitaria Nacional and Pastelaria Versailles.

Want to try recreating bolas de Berlim at home? Make sure to have plenty of eggs, milk, flour, and sugar on hand! Recipes vary slightly from baker to baker, but EasyPortugueseRecipes.com has provided internet sleuths with a basic step-by-step guide that shouldn’t be too hard to follow. The following video by SaborIntenso will show Portuguese-speakers another way to make them as well.

https://youtu.be/im7DB316GvM

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.