What to Eat in Aveiro - Ovos Moles, Eels and the Lagoon

In Aveiro, eat ovos moles (sweet egg-yolk cream in thin wafer shells), caldeirada de enguias (eel stew from the lagoon), enguias fritas (fried eels), and tripas de Aveiro (warm rolled crêpes filled with sweet egg cream or chocolate). Add fresh fish and seafood from the coast at Costa Nova, and take home a bag of local salt. Sweets lead, the lagoon does the rest.

Aveiro sits on the Ria de Aveiro, a wide, shallow lagoon full of canals, salt pans and eels, about an hour south of Porto by train. Its painted moliceiro boats get the photos, but the food is just as distinctive.

Ovos moles: Aveiro's famous sweet

What are ovos moles?

Ovos moles means "soft eggs". It's a thick, glossy cream of egg yolks cooked with sugar syrup. On its own it's spooned from small painted wooden barrels (barricas). More often it's sealed inside thin, crisp wafer shells, the same kind of wafer used for communion bread, shaped like seashells, fish, clams and barrels. You bite through the wafer into the soft, very sweet filling.

Like many Portuguese sweets, ovos moles are linked to convents, where nuns used yolks left over after egg whites were used for other purposes. Our guide to Portuguese convent sweets explains that history.

Why ovos moles are protected

In 2009 Ovos Moles de Aveiro received EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. It was the first Portuguese pastry or confectionery product to get that protection. Look for the certification seal on the box if you want the real thing.

How to buy and eat them

Buy from a pastry shop or confeitaria, not a souvenir stall, if you can. Many make them on site.
Choose the size you need. Boxes and barrels come in several sizes, from a handful of shells to large gift boxes.
Eat them within days. They keep at room temperature for a short time, roughly two weeks at most. Check the date.
Pair with coffee. They are intensely sweet, so a bica (espresso) balances them well. Our Portuguese coffee guide explains how to order.

Tripas de Aveiro

Don't let the name worry you. These tripas have nothing to do with tripe. They're thin, soft crêpe-like pancakes cooked on hot plates, then rolled around a filling. Ovos moles is the classic filling, but chocolate, doce de leite and other sweet spreads are common. You'll usually find them at kiosks and stalls in the centre, eaten warm while walking. They make an easy afternoon snack.

Eels from the lagoon

The Ria de Aveiro has long been known for eels (enguias). Three ways to try them:

Caldeirada de enguias. An eel stew with potatoes, onion, tomato, peppers, garlic, olive oil and sometimes a splash of wine, built in layers and simmered. It's rich, oily in a good way, and served with bread to soak up the broth.
Enguias fritas. Small eels, floured and fried until crisp, often eaten whole. A good petisco with a cold beer.
Enguias de escabeche. Fried eels preserved in a vinegar, olive oil and bay marinade. The town of Murtosa, on the lagoon, is well known for them, and they're also sold in tins.

If eels aren't on a menu, ask whether they have them today (têm enguias hoje?). Supply varies.

Portuguese

Comur smoked eel fillets, 3 tins

A Portuguese conservas classic from the Aveiro region, sold in beautiful tins. A treat or an impressive gift.

Tip: Serve on bread with a squeeze of lemon.

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Fish and seafood at the coast

Aveiro's beaches, at Costa Nova and Barra, are a short bus or drive from the city. Costa Nova is known for its striped wooden houses, the palheiros, and for restaurants serving grilled fish, arroz de marisco (seafood rice) and caldeirada (mixed fish stew). As anywhere on the Portuguese coast, fresh fish is often priced per kilo, so ask before you choose. Our Portuguese seafood guide helps you read the counter, and our Portuguese rice dishes post explains the soupy rice style.

Costa Nova is also the name of a Portuguese stoneware range whose glazes suit a seafood table.

Portuguese

Costa Nova Brisa stoneware bowl

Portuguese stoneware that's microwave- and dishwasher-safe. The right depth for caldo verde or açorda.

Tip: The Brisa range comes in several colours, so you can mix and match.

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Salt from the salt pans

The lagoon has been producing salt for centuries. Shallow salt pans (salinas) line parts of the lagoon near the city, and some are open to visitors in summer, when the salt is harvested. You can usually buy local sea salt and flor de sal (the fine flakes skimmed from the surface) in the city. Our flor de sal guide explains how to use it.

Cod, porcelain and day-trip extras

Ílhavo, next to Aveiro, has a long history with the cod-fishing fleets that sailed to Newfoundland and Greenland. It's a good place to understand why Portugal loves bacalhau.
Vista Alegre, the famous porcelain maker, has been based in Ílhavo since the 19th century. Its glassware and porcelain are popular gifts.

Portuguese

Vista Alegre Bicos goblets, set of 4

Vista Alegre has made porcelain and glass in Portugal since 1824. These goblets suit a Vinho Verde with your cataplana.

Tip: All-purpose goblets: wine, water or sangria.

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Bairrada is just south. The roast suckling pig of Mealhada is about 30-40 minutes away by car, and worth a detour. See our leitão da Bairrada guide.

How to plan a food day in Aveiro

Morning: coffee and an ovo mole in the centre, a walk along the canals, a look at the salt pans.
Lunch: caldeirada de enguias or grilled fish. Lunch is the main meal, roughly 12:30 to 15:00.
Afternoon: bus or drive to Costa Nova for the beach and striped houses, with a tripa de Aveiro on the way.
Before you leave: buy ovos moles in a box or barrel to take home.

If you are coming from Porto, see what to eat in Porto to plan the rest of the trip.

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