Ovos Moles of Aveiro

The ovos moles of Aveiro

The ovos moles are the emblematic confectionery of Aveiro, a creamy sweet with egg yolks wrapped in a fine wafer paste. The Aveiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this speciality born at the convent of Jesus, shaped by the nuns, in the shape of fish and shells that recall the link of the city to the ocean, and the first Portuguese confectionery recognised as a Protected Geographical Indication by the European Union in 2008.

History

To come to Aveiro without tasting the ovos moles would be an unforgivable fault, a bit like going to Lisbon while skipping the pastéis de nata. According to a Portuguese source, the ovos moles would have been invented in the nineteenth century in the former convent of Jesus of Aveiro. Accustomed to using the egg whites in their household tasks, including to iron the clothes, the nuns sought a way to no longer waste the yolks. It is thanks to the Madeira sugar that the royal house gave them, as alms, that they found the solution: by mixing the two ingredients, they gave birth to a creamy dessert. To facilitate its handling and its conservation, their creation was then wrapped in a wafer paste, in the shape of a fish, a shell or a whelk, that recalls the close link between Aveiro, the ocean and fishing. A speciality of the city become famous throughout the country, the ovos moles were the first Portuguese confectioneries to obtain the Protected Geographical Indication of the European Union, in 2008, guaranteeing their recipe and their quality.

What to see

Here you savour the ovos moles, a creamy sweet with egg yolks wrapped in a wafer paste, invented at the convent of Jesus by the nuns who wanted to no longer waste the yolks; its shapes of fish and shells evoke the ocean, and it is the first Portuguese confectionery classified as a Protected Geographical Indication in 2008. The ovos moles are the gourmet treasure of Aveiro. It is a fine stop, to be savoured during the walk.

Practical information

The ovos moles are tasted in the pastry shops and confectioneries of the centre of Aveiro, reachable on foot. The shops follow their own hours, which vary. It is best to enquire on the spot and to choose a recognised confectionery to taste this authentic speciality.

What are the ovos moles of Aveiro?

They are the emblematic confectionery of Aveiro, a creamy sweet based on egg yolks and sugar syrup, wrapped in a fine wafer paste in the shape of a fish or a shell; invented at the convent of Jesus by the nuns, it evokes the link of the city to the ocean and was the first Portuguese confectionery classified as a Protected Geographical Indication in 2008.

Where to taste the ovos moles in Aveiro?

In the pastry shops and confectioneries of the centre of Aveiro, in Portugal.