The Nata World Titles
There is a competition between bakeries in Lisbon each year for the best natas in all Portugal (in some ways a bit like the World Series Baseball actually being a competition between 24 American cities). Every bakery has its own recipe, its own method. Some newcomers have attempted different shapes and different sizes, obviously with no effect on the judges. There is no room in traditional Portugal for punk natas – caramel or strawberry natas would obviously be a threat to good public order.
The same bakery, one in the suburb of Belem, won the comp for 153 years in a row – although their recipe is a closely guarded family secret, their natas always looked and tasted very nata-like. Whole families make excusions to this bakery so that they can take their nata communion together. Then last year a place that had only been around since 1932 took out the title!
I haven’t been able to find out how nata are judged, I suspect uniform size, colour and shape are important criteria- although I have seen the incredibly dispuptive blueberry nata on display at one establishment. Natas are delicious, addictive and omnipresent. As an act of kindness to my reading public I am going to research this topic further and attempt to form an independent opinion, one not swayed by petty rivalries. I will eat as many natas as I can in the next three weeks. This is my solemn promise.
I do wonder however what the effect would be on tourism if I started the World Series Vanilla Slice Competition between bakeries in Rosewood, Lowood, Gatton and Laidley? After all, it worked in the fields of baseball and nata……
Yours in pastry
Farley
The incredibly disruptive strawberry nata! SACRILEGE!
The Very Excellent Adventures of the Cunnington-Smythes 