Fios de ovos

Fios de ovos (lit. 'egg threads') is a traditional Portuguese sweet food made out of egg yolks, drawn into thin strands and boiled in sugar syrup. It is used as a garnish on cakes and puddings, as a filling for cakes, or eaten on its own.^[1]

Fios de ovos

Fios de ovos in Brazil
Type	Dessert
Place of origin	Portugal
Associated cuisine	Portuguese, Spanish, Brazilian, Japanese, Cambodian, Lao, Malaysian, and Thai
Main ingredients	Egg yolks, sugar syrup
Variations	Encharcada, doces de ovos
Media: Fios de ovos

Through Portuguese trade and colonization, the dish has spread to many countries in Asia.^[2] In Japan, it is known as keiran sōmen^[3] (鶏卵素麺, lit. 'hen egg noodles'), in Cambodia as vawee^[4] (Khmer: វ៉ោយ), in Malaysia as jala mas (lit. 'golden net'),^[5] in Thailand as foi thong (Thai: ฝอยทอง; lit. 'golden strand'),^[6] and in the Malabar region of Kerala, India as muttamala (മുട്ടമാല; lit. 'egg chain' or 'egg necklace').^[7] This dish is called letria in Goa.^[8] Fios de ovos is also popular in Brazil, as well as Spain, where it is known as huevo hilado. In Seville, it is shaped into peaked cones called yemas de San Leandro [es].^[2]

History

Foi thong in Thailand

Keiran sōmen in Fukuoka, Japan

Like other egg-based Portuguese sweets, fios de ovos is believed to have been created by Portuguese nuns around the 14th or 15th century. Laundry was a common service performed by convents and monasteries, and their use of egg whites for "starching" clothes created a large surplus of yolks.^[9] Between the 16th and 18th centuries Portuguese explorers took the recipe to Japan, Thailand and parts of India.

Brazil

In Brazilian cuisine, fios de ovos is used as a topping for Marta Rocha Torte, a cake named after Miss Brazil 1954 Martha Rocha.^[10]

Cambodia

Fios de ovos is called voy^[11] or vawee in Khmer. It is garnished with bright candied fruit, such as cherries, and reserved only for special occasions. Vawee's origin is Thai and before that, royal Khmer. It can be bought only in a few select shops in Phnom Penh, where it is made by women who used to live in the Royal Palace.^[4]

Laos

It is one of the most difficult desserts to make in Lao cuisine. Foi thong is boiled in pandanus leaf-flavoured sugar syrup. In Laos, it is traditionally served at weddings and other ceremonial occasions, where the length of the egg threads symbolises long life.^[12]

Thailand

Fios de ovos is called foi thong (Thai: ฝอยทอง; lit. 'golden strand') in Thai. The name of the dessert comes from the observation that it has fine, long stripes and is shiny like silk. Fios de ovos was introduced from Portugal to Thailand by Maria Guyomar de Pinha, half Portuguese and Japanese who was born and raised in Thailand. It is considered a fine dessert. The word thong ('gold') has an auspicious connotation to Thai people. The long stripe is also seen as symbolizing a long life and undying love.^[13]

Japan

Keiran sōmen is the name of fios de ovos in Japan. The dessert is one of the nanbangashi, which are desserts introduced from Portugal during the Nanban trade.^{[citation needed]}

Uses

In Portugal and Brazil, fios de ovos are often used in fillings such as pão de rala, cake decorations and other desserts and accompaniments for sweet dishes. In Brazil, they are also used as accompaniments in savory dishes, often served with canned fruits alongside Christmas turkey.^{[14][15][better source needed]} In Japan, they are served in the form of dessert rolls (wagashi),^[16] and known as keiran sōmen (鶏卵素麺, egg yolk thin noodles).^[3]

See also

• Egg garnish
• Papo-de-anjo
• Quindim
• List of Brazilian sweets and desserts

References

1. Goldstein, Darra (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p. 553. ISBN 978-0-199-31339-6.
2. Mimi Sheraton (2015). 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-761-18306-8.
3. Eric Rath (2010). Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan. University of California Press. pp. 103–104. ISBN 9780520262270.
4. Longteine De Monteiro (1998). The Elephant Walk Cookbook: Cambodian Cuisine from the Nationally Acclaimed Restaurant. Houghton Mifflin. p. 280. ISBN 0395892538.
5. Mahsinah Abdullah, Sharifah (July 24, 2012). "It's sweet by any name". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014.
6. Bangkok Post Educational Services, "Three tempting Thai delicacies". Accessed on October 29, 2011.
7. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (14 April 2023). "How the Portuguese introduced the signature dish of Muttamaala to Malabar". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
8. Menon, Smitha (2021-11-24). "Hidden waterfalls and vinyls: the Goa you need to meet". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
9. Marina Alves (2008), Dos deuses^{[permanent dead link‍]}. Online article, Jornal da Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, accessed on July 5, 2009.
10. Castella, Krystina (2015). A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far. Storey Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-603-42446-2.
11. Seng Jameson, Narin (2010). Cooking the Cambodian Way: The Intertwined Story of Cooking and Culture in Cambodia. Caring for Cambodia. p. 136. ISBN 978-999-63-601-0-7.
12. Culloty, Dorothy (2010). Food From Northern Laos: The Boat Landing Cookbook. Galangal Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-473-17236-7.
13. Wandee Na- Songkhla (2012). Legendary thai dishes in three eras.. Accessed on September 14, 2016.
14. Porto Cultura, "Peru de Natal". Accessed on July 8, 2009.
15. Terra Culinária, "Peru de Natal" Archived 2008-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on July 7, 2009.
16. Kyoto Foodie, Wagashi: Angel Hair Keiran Somen (Fios de Ovos). Accessed on July 7, 2009.