Adelaide Gomes, the cook and other half of my favorite little tasca – Tasca do João, grew up poor in the rural North during the dictatorship. When not used as a source of nutrients, eggs became a coveted form of currency.

In rural areas, it was common to raise chickens (and many still do today), as they required the least amount of space and can feed off the ground and/or from leftover food scraps. Hence, meat was a commodity reserved for the aristocracy and various shortages throughout the years pushed the masses to often rely on eggs to supplement or become their sole source of protein. Plagued by poverty for several generations, it wasn’t until after the reign of the monarchies, through the Salazar dictatorship that ended in 1974, that Portugal clawed its way out. When you look at Portugal economically, this small country has traditionally run on its agriculture. What’s more amazing is how each and everyone has their own unique texture and flavor. If you’re keen to see the vast array of egg-based desserts across the Peninsula, simply stroll the streets on any given Catholic holiday, and you’ll be astonished by the sheer number that exists. Add heaps of leftover yolks, and you have the beautiful beginning of doces conventuais. During the time of the Discoveries when Portugal received cane sugar from Brazil, the nuns wisely thought to use it in their desserts. As they were paid with chickens by the poor, eggs were always bountiful. However, it was common practice in Portuguese convents to use egg whites for starching/pressing their habits, and egg whites were also very useful for filtering liquids, such as wine. Like Spain, Portugal is inherently Catholic, and both are home to numerous convents and monasteries all over the country. This can still be seen in various Middle Eastern and North African cuisines today, as well as in both Spanish and Portuguese dishes among other inherited ingredients such as chickpeas, almonds, paprika and bread-based dishes. The Romans regarded eggs quite highly in their cuisine and the Moors, who were the last civilization to be conquered by the Spanish and Portuguese kingdoms, used poached and fried eggs abundantly in their dishes. The Iberian Peninsula has seen many civilizations and cultures pass through its land over its long history and for many, eggs were an important food source in their time. And within this were the touching personal stories from a people who hold their memories and traditions dear to heart. What I found was not a straightforward answer, but instead, the economical, political and religious influences that helped shape Portugal’s egg culture. I even went to the countryside to bond with the actual life force of the egg, as galinhas – our feathery friends -the chickens themselves. I spoke to locals, the little grandmas, the mama cooks at the small tascas and the old grocers. This was the question I set out to solve a few weeks ago among o povo– the Portuguese people.

Even the Portuguese chicken soup- canja, traditionally includes the boiled yolks of the un-laid eggs still left inside the chicken after it’s killed! So why does the egg seem to symbolize as much “à portuguesa” as their national anthem in their culture? Where did this love for eggs originate? They’re poached in soups and açordas fried on top of steaks, alheiras and francesinhas boiled with fish and mixed into many of their beloved bacalhau dishes and beaten with sugar and cinnamon in numerous desserts and sweets. Ovos are found throughout Portuguese cuisine.

If you ask the Portuguese, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” I would place my bet on the egg.

Eggy deserts