In the later part of the 20th century crème caramel occupied an excessively large amount of territory in European restaurant dessert menus. This was probably crema de coco to the convenience, for restaurateurs, of being able to prepare a lot in advance and keep them until needed. In this context, crème in French means ‘custard’.
French names, but flan has come to have different meanings in different regions. In Spanish-speaking countries and often in the United States, crème caramel is known as flan. It is usually cooked in a bain-marie on a stovetop or in the oven in a water bath. The resulting texture is gelatinous and creamy. Turning out larger dishes requires care, as the custard easily splits. Larger dishes also require more care to avoid undercooking the interior or overcooking the exterior. Thus, crème caramel is often cooked and served in individual ramekins.
The objective is to obtain a homogeneous and smooth cream on the surface of the crème caramel with a liquid caramel base. An imitation of crème caramel may be prepared from “instant flan powder”, which is thickened with agar or carrageenan rather than eggs. Modern variations include vanilla and other flavorings. Caramel custard is popular, especially in the larger coastal cities, and in former Portuguese colonies such as Goa, Daman and Diu.
Sometimes, masala chai is added on the side. The same kind of dessert is sold in convenience stores in Taiwan. Caramel custard is a very popular dessert in Malaysia. First introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century and sold year-round today, this dessert is popular served in restaurants, cafes, hotels, and even Ramadan bazaars for breaking the fast. Philippine leche flan are characteristically oval-shaped due to the traditional use of tin molds known as llaneras. Spanish dish, made with condensed milk and more egg yolks.
Leche flan is also commonly baked into pastries. The most common is the Filipino dessert flan cake or leche flan cake, a Filipino chiffon or sponge cake with a layer of leche flan on top. Crème caramel was introduced by the French and is common in Vietnam. It is known as bánh caramel, caramen, or kem caramel in northern Vietnam or bánh flan or kem flan in southern Vietnam.
Variations include serving with black coffee poured on top, or browning the caramel past typical caramelization point to make a darker, more bitter “burnt caramel”. Also at most equatorial and Caribbean countries the inclusion of coconut, condensed milk and evaporated milk is widespread. The milk base may also be flavored with nuts, fruit, and so on. In Spain, most varieties of flan are available although the most well known one is known as flan de huevo. Other varieties include turron – Spain’s almond nougat.
Known as Pudim flan, made with milk, eggs, caramelized sugar, and vanilla. Variations include orange or lemon zest, cinnamon, pineapple, Port wine, or even bacon as is the case with Pudim Abade de Priscos. Most Puerto Rican flans are based on eggs and milk. Egg white and egg yolks are beaten separately with sugar to achieve a light flan.
On Thanksgiving, cazuela flan is most popular. Using the same filling as cazuela pie but as flan with pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Flancocho, or flan cake, is a vanilla, almond, or yellow cake batter mixed with cream cheese flan. This results in flan on top, with caramel and sponge cake underneath. Coffee and nutella flan flavored with cream cheese, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Popular flavors include mango, lemon, pistachio and white chocolate, orange, guava, and cream cheese, passion fruit, and tamarind. Spanish lime, sweet plantains, piña colada, sesame seed milk, breadfruit, and cassava are also uniquely Puerto Rican. In Venezuela and Brazil, it is often made with condensed milk, milk, eggs, and sugar caramelized on top. A similar Cuban dish is Copa Lolita, a small caramel flan served with one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Other variations include coconut or rum raisin topping. In the Dominican Republic, only egg yolks are used, mixed with vanilla, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Coconut flan is known as quesillo.