Toucinho do Céu

Toucinho do Céu is one of Portugal’s most famous Conventual desserts.

Toucinho do Céu translates directly to ‘Bacon from Heaven’, or ‘Heavenly Bacon’. Why such a curious name? There are those who argue that its name is due to the fact that, centuries ago, instead of butter, it was made with nothing more, nothing less than… lard!

It is believed that the original recipe for Toucinho do Céu was created by Benedictine nuns who lived isolated in the Monastery of Murça, in Vila Real, in the north of Portugal.

As a curiosity, the Convent of Santa Mónica, in Évora, was the first of the Order of Saint Augustine, to be closed down in 1881. However, between 1790 and 1792, the convent went through many internal conflicts, described in its monastic history, and guess what was found mentioned in these archived documents? Toucinho do Céu!