There is a place called Belem in the outskirts of Lisbon where, in the early 19th century, a thriving monastery cast its sphere of influence on the local populace. But that changed in 1820. The liberal revolution of that year posed a direct challenge to the clergy, meaning that by 1834, all the monasteries in the country were shut down. As a consequence, their inhabitants suddenly found themselves unemployed. So to make ends meet, an enterprising person from the monastery at Belem decided to commercialise the signature pastries made there, thanks to a sugar refinery nearby. Word spread. People from far and wide came to the shop which sold the sweet dish just to sample its unique recipe, a closely-guarded secret that survives to this day. And that's how the "Belem tart" became Lisbon's most famous culinary legacy, one which, it can be safely said, isn't found anywhere else in the world.

Pastel de nata and chocolate morcela