Folar is a traditional Portuguese egg bread commonly found in Porto’s bakeries during Easter. But this beloved holiday treat is more than just a seasonal delight. it has deep Jewish roots, linking Portuguese and Sephardic traditions.

We love Folar so much that we’ve included it in our Private Custom Tours of Porto, where you can taste this historic delicacy while exploring the city’s Jewish and Catholic culinary heritage.

What does Folar mean?

Like so many traditions, Folar has layers. In Portugal, it refers to both a type of bread (sometimes sweet, sometimes savory, depending on the region) and a Catholic Easter ritual. As part of this tradition, children give olive tree branches to their godparents on Palm Sunday. In return, they receive Folar on Easter Sunday as a gift. Today, this gift is often replaced by a monetary gift, also called Folar.

A Personal Connection to the Tradition

As a youngster, I vividly remember anticipating Easter, not just for the celebrations but also for the joy of receiving Folar from my godmother. At the time, I believed this was solely a Catholic tradition, part of Páscoa (Easter) and Pascoela (Easter Monday). However, my recent research into Portuguese Easter foods revealed some surprising connections to Sephardic Jewish heritage.

Types of Folar

We can categorize it into two types: sweet and savory.

• The savory version, typically from the Trás-os-Montes region, includes smoked ham, chouriço, bacon, and other pork meats.
• The sweet one has a simple recipe, often featuring a whole egg baked into the dough. You can find it in Beira Litoral, Beira Interior, and parts of Trás-os-Montes. Notably, this type of bread is popular in areas with a significant Marrano (crypto-Jewish) presence, where Jewish families secretly preserved their traditions after the expulsion of Jews from Portugal in 1496.

The Sephardic Connection

While researching Folar’s origins, I came across a fascinating link to Sephardic Jewish Purim customs. In Jewish tradition, a similar bread exists under the name Huevos de Haman or Foulare (meaning “wrapping” in Ladino language).

The egg wrapped in dough is said to symbolize Haman’s imprisonment, connecting Folar to the Purim story of Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, who saved the Jewish people from destruction in the Persian Empire, as described in the Megillah of Esther.

Purim, celebrated in late winter or early spring, includes traditions such as:

• Giving money to the poor;
• Sending food gifts;
• Drinking copious amounts of wine;
• Eating traditional Purim foods like Hamantaschen and Folar.

A Bridge Between Jewish and Catholic Traditions

For Portuguese Catholics, Folar is a staple of Easter Sunday and has a straightforward recipe. With some luck, while in Porto, you might encounter another type of Folar from a specific area called Fornos de Algodres, which closely resembles Challah, the Jewish braided bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

Interestingly, the Hebrew holiday Pesach (Passover) is called Páscoa in Portuguese, the same word for Easter. This linguistic link further highlights the shared history between Portuguese and Jewish traditions.

Where to Find the Best Folar in Porto

If you’re visiting Porto during Easter, don’t miss the chance to taste authentic Folar at local bakeries. Whether you prefer the sweet version with an egg on top or the savory version packed with cured meats, this iconic bread is a must-try.

If you want to dive deeper into the Jewish and Catholic history of Folar, join us on a Porto Jewish Heritage Tour, where we’ll guide you through the city’s hidden stories and flavors.

Ricardo Brochado, founder of City Tailors, brings folar to life in this blog post, now featured on the Taste Porto blog as part of the fusion between City Tailors and Taste Porto.