An Egg-sploration of Silky Custards Around the World from Europe to the Far East: Fancy Desserts to Make

Custards are creamy and a little runny concoctions that have existed for centuries and there is documented evidence that the Romans were eating a savoury version of custards. So, it's not a stretch to say that custards have been around since the Middle Ages with England’s burn cream popping up around the 1600s, followed by the Spanish version that is similar to a flan and then the French custard. It is hard to say where one version begins and the other ends and all of them are famous and delicious and are a must try when it comes to fancy desserts to make at home.

1. Crème brûlée

Made with egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla with a caramelised sugar crust, that is a pleasure to crack, Crème brûlée is a French custard. It is cooked, then poured in ramekins, and then pouched in a bain-marie and chilled for it to thicken and set. The custard is set in wide and shallow dishes, and brown sugar is sprinkled over the custard, which is torched to form the crunchy caramelised crust. Whether or not the French invented this “burnt cream” as the English like to call it, it’s a collective yes that crème brûlée is quintessentially French.

2. Arsumà

Close to its cousin the Italian zabaione, it originated as a sweet dish enjoyed by the workers in the Biella, Piedmont region of the country. They used to eat it for breakfast and it’s made with whole eggs that are whisked with sugar and added to milk; instead of milk, sometimes dry white wine is also used. Wafers made from cornflour are dipped into this custard for a filling meal.

3. Bavarian Cream

A silky egg custard from Germany, the Bavarian cream uses ample whipped cream and is also jiggly because it uses gelatin. At first glance, you would think it is panna cotta, but what makes it different is the taste. It’s eaten with fresh fruit or dessert sauces drizzled on top of it. The French have a stake to claim in its invention as around the 1600s-1700s a lot of French chefs were working in the German region of Bavaria. Unofficially, it is thought that the famed French chef Marie-Antoine Carême invented it; he had written a recipe for this custard around the early 18th century. It is more popular as a filling than a custard.

4. Crème caramel

It’s hard to say who exactly created this dessert as Spain, France and England all fight over staking claim over this dessert. One could say it's French, given its name, but the English argue that the French adapted the recipe from the English custard. Crème caramel is basically a custard, with a proper form, made with whole milk and cream with a sweet caramel sauce cascading down from its top and pooling at its base. This custard is best known as Flan in South American countries and tastes best chilled.

5. Crema Catalana

This custard is Spanish and is the local version of the Crème caramel created due to cultural exchange. Somehow the Spanish cooks figured out how to make it when sugar cane was introduced in the country by the Arabs a long time ago in Spain. Crema Catalana is made with just three ingredients – milk, eggs and cornstarch, that is baked. After baking the surface is sprinkled with sugar that is either torched or broiled to caramelise it and make it crisp. This custard is said to be the oldest European custard. The flavour of crema catalana is so popular that it is used to flavour local sweetmeats, ice creams and other desserts.

6. Frozen custard

This one’s an ice cream that is made, sold and extremely popular in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States which is dubbed the "Custard Capital of the World". This frozen custard ice cream is treated as gourmet and made with eggs, cream, and sugar. It originated as a carnival treat from Coney Island in New York and today you will find a lot of flavour offerings of this tasty treat. It is dense and not so airy, like normal ice creams because it is made with custard.

7. Leche Flan

One unique characteristic of the leche flan is its shape – it’s oval and not a flat-topped roundish pyramid. Otherwise, this Filipino dessert tastes almost the same as Flan or creme caramel. It is a creamy custard that is flipped on a serving dish with caramel sauce poured over the Flan. The oval shape comes from the oval tins, called llaneras, it is baked in. Yes, it was indeed the Spanish who brought this dessert to the Philippines during the colonisation era. Pisces of the flan are also said to be added to other local desserts like the Halo Halo.