Abóbora-chila or abóbora gila is a gourd more commonly shortened to chila (“sheila”) or gila (“jeela”) in Portugal. Cucurbita ficifolia has a watermelon-like exterior, but on the inside imagine a spaghetti squash that’s white instead of orange, and with black seeds. I had to look up the English name, of which it has a few, but fig-leaf gourd seems to be the most common.
This particular pastry can be found in most Portuguese bakeries as something like pastel de chila com amêndoa (pastry tart of squash with almonds). Actually, I’m not entirely sure what this pastry is called; I’ve seen different names. But it’s always in sweet form, in desserts or jams.
I don’t usually buy pastries with chila because it can taste overly sweet to me, but my local bakery does wonders with it. Here, the texture was very smooth and not nearly as sweet as I’d expected. That’s why I always buy the small and mini sizes, so it isn’t as much of a commitment.
This very sad face appeared because I didn’t share… aw pooch, no sugar for you!
April 18, 2016
Album: Portugal [Spring 2016]