Ovos Moles

Ovos moles are a traditional pastry of the Aveiro region. They trace their origin to the nuns who lived at various convents of the Dominican, Franciscan, and Carmelite orders present in the area until the early 20th century—particularly the Mosteiro de Jesus. According to popular legend, the nuns used egg whites to clean their habits, while they used the yolks to make sweets so as not to waste them, and in order to raise money for their religious communities. When the First Portuguese Republic suppressed the convents in 1910, the nuns transferred their artisanal knowledge to educated upper-class women. Ovos moles grew in popularity when women wearing traditional Aveiro costume started selling them at the Aveiro train station on the Lisbon–Porto line.