The Sweet Portuguese Treat with a Gross Name

There’s a beach town where you can get a delicious treat named after pig’s guts. Don’t worry, there’s no porcine innards involved.

Tripas origin story

For a couple generations, the family of José Oliveira’s wife had a cookie business, selling “American Cookies” from a stall in Costa Nova, just a few minutes from Aveiro, Portugal. Then, in the 1980’s a customer asked José to “undercook” the cookie a little, and Zé da Tripa was born.

The name comes from José’s nickname, Zé, and the fact that the kids who bought these treats would pull apart the undercooked dough while eating it and called it “Tripa,” or Tripe (pig’s intestines). To me, the Tripa bears no resemblance to pig guts, but the name stuck.

Because Tripas de Aveiro are slightly undercooked in the cookie press (think of a super skinny waffle iron), they are more chewy than crunchy. Topped with cinnamon, Tripas are divine.

These days, you’ll see Tripas filled with any kind of sweet or savory delicacy you can imagine. But, ask Zé and he’ll tell you the only acceptable fillings are Ovos Moles (egg custard) and dark chocolate.

Where to get Tripas

Zé da Tripa is still going strong. There’s a kiosk in Costa Nova right by a very popular attraction, the Palheiros striped houses.

If you can’t make it out to Costa Nova, there’s a place in Aveiro called O Rei das Tripas that also makes a pretty good Tripa.

Getting to Costa Nova

Aveiro doesn’t have an airport but it’s pretty easy to get there by train from Porto (1 hour) or Lisbon (2 hours 15 minutes). Buses are also frequent and cheaper than the train, though a little slower. Driving is also an option, of course.

Once in Aveiro, you can take an Uber or drive to Costa Nova in 15 minutes. Walking isn’t an option as the route is along a busy highway with no sidewalk. If you have time, you can take the bus, but it takes an hour to get there.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.