In many Portuguese restaurants, when they offer a daily menu, they usually give the option of finishing with coffee or dessert. It is often difficult to choose because both coffees and desserts here are usually of very good quality.
The decision is sometimes conditioned by the amount of food previously eaten, which means that you cannot squeeze anything else in, and you end up opting for a coffee. Sometimes you may also be trying, usually unsuccessfully, to control the number of calories. It is true that some of the most common and more delicious desserts in Portuguese cuisine, such as serradura (based on whipped cream and biscuits), baba de camelo (with condensed milk), or bolo de bolacha (with biscuits as the main ingredient), tend to be more calorific as they often include substantial amount of refined sugar.
That is why lately some new options are starting to get more attention. An interesting choice, already present in some supermarkets but still not in many restaurants, are desserts based on kefir, a natural probiotic with many positive effects on the organism. The most known benefit is that it helps regulate the intestinal flora, improving the digestion and the regularity of the transit. Along with it or, perhaps, for that reason, by releasing the immune system of tasks related to intestinal activity, it usually improves resistance to colds and minor infections.
Kefir can be eaten natural, like yogurt. But precisely because it is similar to yogurt, but more complete, it fits very well for various desserts that are both tasty and healthier. For example, if you beat it with honey and the juice of a lemon, you can have a creamy and delicious dessert. Mixed with banana, berries, and granola, you get a complete and very healthy breakfast, similar to the popular açaí bowls with yogurt served in some of the trendiest NY shops. The frozen yogurt stores MyIced, which opened in Leiria in 2012 and continue their expansion throughout Portugal, are an excellent example of constant innovation to offer new products that are delicious but also healthier and sugar-free.
And you? Have you tried new desserts in Portugal that you can highly recommend?