History

The tibia de Braga is the second of the city's two signature conventual pastries, alongside the frigideira. The bone shape is a reference to the relics venerated in Braga's many churches, and the name is a direct translation of the leg bone. The filling of egg yolks, sugar and cream is the same conventual custard tradition that produced the pastel de Belem in Lisbon and the pastel de Tentugal in Coimbra. Tibias de Braga at Praca Conde Sao Joaquim is the specialist address and has held the recipe since the shop opened in the 20th century.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6 (makes 12 pastries)Hands-on 50 minTotal 1 hr 40 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the choux: 200ml water, 80g unsalted butter, 120g plain flour, 3 large eggs, pinch of salt
  • For the custard: 500ml whole milk, 6 egg yolks, 150g caster sugar, 40g cornflour, 1 cinnamon stick, lemon zest
  • Icing sugar to dust

Method

  1. Make the custard: heat milk with cinnamon and lemon zest. Whisk yolks, sugar and cornflour; temper in the hot milk. Return to heat and stir until thick. Cover and chill completely.
  2. Make choux: bring water and butter to the boil, add flour all at once and beat over heat for 2 minutes until the paste pulls from the sides. Cool slightly, beat in eggs one at a time.
  3. Pipe the choux into bone-shaped logs (about 12cm long) on a lined baking tray. Bake at 200C for 25 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding.
  4. Pierce each tibia at one end with a skewer. Fill with cold custard using a piping bag fitted with a narrow nozzle.
  5. Dust with icing sugar and serve at room temperature within 2 hours of filling.

Tip from the editors. Pipe the choux thick at the centre and tapered at the ends for an authentic bone shape. Under-baking the choux produces a doughy centre; the shell must be fully hollow before filling.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat tibias de braga

Tibias de Braga in Braga

Tibias de Braga ★ 4.5

Centro Historico

The tíbia is Braga's most photogenic pastry at under €2.50. The bone-shaped profiterole filled with egg-yolk cream has no equivalent outside the Minho.

Try: Tíbia (bone-shaped custard cream pastry)

Order: One vanilla tíbia and one chocolate-filled for the classic side-by-side comparison.

Tip: Ask for the vanilla and chocolate pair (€4 total) to understand the shop's full repertoire in one standing snack.

Praça Conde São Joaquim 30-32, 4700-210 Braga

Frigideiras do Cantinho ★ 4.8

Centro Historico

Braga's most famous street bite: a fried puff-pastry pocket of egg-yolk custard cream, made here continuously since 1796 for under €2 per piece.

Try: Frigideira (fried custard pastry)

Order: Frigideira with a galão at the counter for the most honest €2.50 in Braga.

Tip: Eat immediately outside on the steps for the optimal temperature. One frigideira, one tíbia and one sameirinho is the full three-pastry tasting for under €5.

Largo de São João do Souto 1, 4700-326 Braga

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