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Description: The “Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo “ (Almond Covered with Moncorvo) is a confectionery product obtained from sweet almonds peeled, toasted and covered with a sugar paste. Three versions can be marketed: white or common; brunettes or chocolate; naked. The common version has a white exterior color and highlights the characteristic sugar spouts formed during the cooking period. The brunette version differs from the common version only by the use of chocolate syrup in the final phase of its preparation, which gives it a brownish or chocolate exterior color. The naked version has a whitish exterior color, resulting from a thin sugar coating that does not highlight the characteristic sugar nozzles of the other versions.
Production method: The almond is peeled and put in the oven to toast. The sugar syrup is prepared by dissolving the sugar in water, over a heat source. The chocolate syrup is prepared by adding chocolate or cocoa powder sugar syrup. The roasted almond is placed in a copper basin, over a heat source, and drizzled with the sugar syrup. The "cobrideira" (the name by which the producers of "Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo" are known) then moves the almond kernels until the sugar syrup is completely attached to the almonds. Then the "cobrideira" sprinkles the almonds with the syrup again and repeats the process. The longer it is worked (and the more sugar syrup is added) the larger the almond sugar nozzles will be.
Special characteristics: The "Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo" has an easily identifiable and distinguishable appearance from other confectionery almonds.
History: The "Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo" originates from Torre de Moncorvo, a municipality where its manufacture has been maintained over the centuries in a constant and uninterrupted way, with a strong relationship with Easter and other popular festivals. The publication "Ilustração Transmontana", from 1908, documents the activity of the "cobrideiras" since at least 1908. The Grande Enciclopédia Portuguesa e Brasileira, from 1936, also mentions that "the almonds covered with Moncorvo became famous in Portugal". Likewise, in the "Book of the Second Trás-os-Montes Congress", of 1942, it is noted that there is, in Torre de Moncorvo, a small "covered almond" industry, "very interesting for its originality" and with a "characteristic appearance that almost everyone knows". The production method of the "Covered Almond of Moncorvo" described in this book is similar to that still practiced today. Its quality, originality and the tradition of its consumption have given "Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo" a great notoriety and reputation, as proven by numerous references in the media, where it is often identified as one of the ex-libris of Torre de Moncorvo.
Product specifications (pdf)
Geographical area: Municipality of Torre de Moncorvo.
Producer group
APAACM - Agrupamento de Produtores de Amêndoa e de Amêndoa Coberta de Moncorvo
Control and certification body
TRADIÇÃO E QUALIDADE – Associação Interprofissional de Produtos AgroAlimentares de Trás-os-Montes
Control plan
Control plan (pdf)
