Régulas: sweet tributes to the city and its people

These are bits of pleasure that taunt the most cautious rover in the land of the Douro. They are symbioses of flavours which conjure up the urges of gluttony. In Peso da Régua, the land of fortified wine par excellence, Maria do Céu Pires gives life to other sweets which dissolve in the mouth: the ferreirrinha and the régula.

A creation commensurate with Régua

In 2005, to commemorate 20 years of Régua being granted city status, Maria do Céu invented the régula. “It is a small ruler that I made in puff pastry, with a cream that tastes of hazelnut, sweet egg paste and Port Wine. I make a point of always adding Port Wine to regional sweets.

Pearly white, with a crunchy texture, the régula is oblong in shape, with slightly undulating tips. Its making requires that the hazelnuts, Port Wine and egg yolks be added after the sugar syrup has cooled down.

Maria do Céu sprinkles the worktop with flour to roll out the dough. With a knife, she cuts several rectangles on which she then spreads the cream. The final step is to add an “R” in dough on top of the cake.

After baking in the oven, the régula is sprinkled with sugar and “keeps for 15 days fresh as ever”. “People like the cream because it has a different flavour,” she says.

Just before sale, the régulas are placed in boxes sealed with the letter “R” or accompanied by a sticker made by Maria do Céu, explaining the origins of this treat.

According to some historians, the town of Peso da Régua was inhabited at the time of the Roman invasions. Thus, the name “Régua” (ruler) comes from “villa Regula”, a Roman country house buried in the site where the city stands today.
As for the “Peso” (weight) name, some argue that it is due to the location where goods were weighed for the levying of taxes.

In 1836, Peso da Régua became a municipality and, on 14 August 1985, the town was granted city status. Twenty years on, the régula was born as a “sweet tribute to the Douro’s princess city”.

Weekly production ranges from 100 to 150 régulas, since demand increases at the weekends. The unit price is no more than 90 cents.

Maria do Céu knows that her sweets have reached Angola, Brazil, France, Switzerland and England, taken by emigrants. As for the tourists who visit her place and let themselves be carried away by tasteful sensations, “they say that each is better than the one before.”

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