Pinhoada

Description: Honey and pine nut jam, with the shape of a hard plate with 0,5 cm thickness 3 cm width and 5 cm length.

Region: Alentejo.

Other denominations: Pinhoada de Alcácer do Sal.

Particularity: Diamond-shaped plates, brown in color and where pine nuts stand out. It is presented wrapped in thick white paper, with two diamonds for each fold of paper.

History: Alcácer do Sal is the center of a region of sandy terrain where stone pine has developed well. It is, for this reason, one of the consecrated areas of pine nut production. Alcácer do Sal has been, for decades, one of the most important road junctions in the south of the country. Perhaps that is why Pinhoada, which was a popular sweet, presented and consumed at fairs, has become one of the typical sweets of this region where it is widely sold to passing travelers.

Use: As a treat, at any time of the day.

Know-how: Peel the pine nuts, peel them and put them in the oven to brown lightly. Bring the honey to the boil and, when it boils, add the pine nuts, letting it boil until it thickens. The mixture is poured on a damp marble stone and with wet hands and a wet rolling pin the pine is extended to form a uniform layer. Once cooled, cut into pieces with a heated knife. It is placed on paper that folds over itself, in several turns.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001