There are those who say that Algarve sweets are of Arab origin, but there are also those who say that this has an influence on convent sweets from the 18th century. That is, in the convents, the nuns gave wings to their imagination and invented sweets, which later began to be produced and also consumed by the population.

Depending on the products available in a particular region, the recipe for a particular sweet was adapted. In the case of the Algarve, its typical sweets are based on figs, almonds, carob and medronho.

Some of these typical sweets are: Doce Fino, Dom Rodrigo, Figos Cheios, Florado de Lagoa, Queijinhos de Figo and Morgado or Morgadinho.

Doce Fino

The Doce Fino, also known as Doce de Marzipan by foreigners, is made with almond mass, sugar and egg whites and sometimes people fill it with egg strands.

After preparing the almond mass, figures are created, representing fruits and animals, being painted with food coloring, in order to create a good imitation of the real object.

Dom Rodrigo

Dom Rodrigo is one of the best known sweets in the Algarve, having its origins in the Convent of Our Lady of Carmo in Lagos. This will have been created to please  the governor and captain of the Algarve, Sir Rodrigo de Menezes, hence the sweet has the same name.

This sweet is made with egg strands, ovos moles, almond kernels, sugar and cinnamon, having been served throughout its history in three different ways. The first was in the form of a candy, the second was served in a porcelain bowl, so it could be eaten with a spoon and the third, being the most current, is served wrapped in colored aluminum foil, in order to draw more attention, of who consumes it.

Figos Cheios

The Figos Cheios from Olhão, emerged as a source of energy for fishermen, when they went for fishing both distant and coastal. These are made with fig, sugar, almond, chocolate, cinnamon and lemon.

Florados de Lagoa

The Florados of Lagoa, made from almond, egg strands and sugar, due to having been a secret kept for centuries, it is not known when they appeared, tut there are those who say that they appeared in two periods of the history of the Convent of San Jose.

The first one dates from the beginning of the 18th century, when the convent appeared, with the Carmelite nuns living here, but this is a fact that has not yet been fully proven.

The second period dates from the 19th century, in which he states that the conviviality and taste for sweets on the part of the Carmelite nuns and the Dominican Sisters of Santa Catarina de Siena, led to the creation of the Florados of Lagoa.

Queijinhos de Figo

Queijinhos de Figo are made with figs, almonds, sugar, chocolate, “Firewater”. cinnamon, fennel and water. These emerged as a way to reuse the dried figs that were harvested at the end of September, being exposed to the sun to dry with the almonds. Another reason for the creation of this has to do with the fact that it has a long duration of consumption.

Morgado or Morgadinho

Morgado or Morgadinho, a sweet with origins in Portimão and in Silves. It’s made with almond mass, with a filling of egg strands with ovos-moles and chila jam inside. This one is usually decorated with petals (Morgado) or just with some silver balls (Morgadinho).

Come and discover the best places where you can taste and buy the best typical Algarve sweets, renting a scooter.