Tosquiados are a cookie from the Alentego region of Portugal. Specifically, they are from the small city of Beja, not far from Évora.
No one is sure where the Tosquiado originated, but they likely got their start in one of Beja’s convents which is where many of the town’s sweets were invented.
Tosquiados are made by whipping egg whites to soft peaks. Sugar is added and the mixture is whipped very firm to stiff peaks. Then, finely chopped almonds are added and the mixture is spooned onto a baking tray. After 20 minutes in the oven, you’ve got delicious Tosquiados!
There are lots of terrific pastelarias (bakeries) in Beja. My favorite for Tosquiados is Casa de Cha, which translates to Tea House. Their Tosquiados are crunchy, perfect for dunking in an espresso or cup of tea.
Interestingly, Tosquiado translates to “shorn.” the past tense of “shear.” I have no idea how they came to name the cookie after this word, but if you do, drop me a line.
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 to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Évora, Monsaraz, and Batalha. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
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