Is the word pastéis the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
No.
The word "pastéis" is not the same in both dialects because of a significant difference in meaning and typical usage. In Brazilian Portuguese, "pastéis" refers almost exclusively to a specific savory, deep-fried pastry snack filled with ingredients like meat, cheese, or vegetables, which is a staple of street markets. In Continental Portuguese, "pastéis" is most commonly used to refer to sweet pastries (such as the famous pastéis de nata). Because the culinary concept is different, a Portuguese person would not use the word "pastéis" to describe the savory, fried snack found in Brazil; instead, they would naturally use words like salgados (savory snacks) or folhados (flaky pastries) to express that same idea.
Brazilian Portuguese examples:
- Eu adoro comer pastéis de carne na feira. (I love eating meat pastéis at the street market.)
- Vamos pedir uma porção de pastéis de queijo? (Shall we order a portion of cheese pastéis?)
- O pastel de palmito estava muito gostoso. (The hearts-of-palm pastel was very tasty.)
- Os pastéis da feira são sempre crocantes. (The pastéis from the street market are always crispy.)
- Eu sempre acompanho meus pastéis com caldo de cana. (I always accompany my pastéis with sugarcane juice.)
Continental Portuguese examples:
- Eu adoro comer salgados ao lanche. (I love eating savory snacks for my snack time.)
- Vamos pedir alguns folhados de presunto? (Shall we order some ham flaky pastries?)
- O salgado de queijo estava muito bom. (The cheese savory snack was very good.)
- Estes folhados são muito crocantes. (These flaky pastries are very crispy.)
- Comprei uns salgados na padaria. (I bought some savory snacks at the bakery.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences