People are lining up for Portuguese-style crepes filled with Nutella in Toronto
Portuguese-style crepes, called tripas de Aveiro stuffed with Nutella, are now available from a Toronto restaurant for takeout.
"A Tripa is a Portuguese style undercooked crepe made in a waffle iron, originally from the Aveiro region and filled with ovos moles but can also be filled with various types of chocolate," reads the description of the item on an Instagram post from Mercado Negro, a St. Clair West restaurant.
They've serving takeout from their colourful umbrella-covered patio and have been serving the tripas since their Portugal Day celebrations on June 12 and 13.
Ovos moles is also specific to Aveiro, a mixture of egg yolks and sugar.
They were such a hit, they're now serving them every Friday and Saturday.
People in Toronto started doing the wave while waiting in line at Portuguese restaurant Mercado Negro - 📹 Mercado Negro #Toronto #takeoutTO pic.twitter.com/UJaAepHrrp
— blogTO (@blogTO) June 19, 2020
"It's been incredible, really big lineups, people have been loving it. It's a little taste of the centre of Portugal, Aveiro," says Carlos Oliveira of Mercado Negro.
People in Toronto have been waiting in line for hours for tripa de Aveiro and bolacha Americana from Mercado Negro - 📸 Mercado Negro #Toronto #takeoutTO pic.twitter.com/fTc28MPJp7
— blogTO (@blogTO) June 19, 2020
"It started off as a little joke, didn't think our chef William would nail the batter. And he did. So we tried it out. With the power of social media it was incredible, people waiting in line for two hours to taste a bit of Portugal."
He says the tripas are difficult to nail because "it's a waffle cone batter but it has to be eaten undercooked. So the batter has to be on point. Softer than usual to have a nice chew but not to be raw. The trick is to achieve a soft and chewy batter but strong enough to hold the flavour of chocolate that you pick."
Nutella, Kit Kat and Ferrero Rocher fillings are available, though ovos moles is the traditional filling. They're $3 for regular flavours, $4 for premium chocolates and $5 for sweet egg, and are available every Friday and Saturday.
"The filling melts inside the batter and then it is eaten nice and hot, sprinkled with cinnamon," says Oliveira.
They've also been doing bolacha Americana, a similar flat cookie/waffle-like treat, as well as lots of other Portuguese cuisines for takeout.
Mercado Negro
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