Difference Between Flan and Creme Caramel
Table of Contents
The food sector today is huge and complex. It has developed to offer a huge diversity of dishes, ranging from starters to main course to desserts.
It is no secret that desserts are the most attractive dishes for the younger generations today. Many confections such as cakes, ice creams, cookies, biscuits, pies, custard, pastries, and tarts are termed as desserts.
Flan and Creme Caramel are among the most popular desserts today. One often thinks that there are no differences between them, but they are different in view of the preparation methods and the ingredients used. Egg is the main ingredient in Creme caramel, whereas pastry, vegetables, and custard are the main ingredients in Flan.
Flan vs Creme Caramel
The main difference between Flan and Creme Caramel is that Creme caramel can be served as a dessert only, but Flan can be served as a main course as well as dessert. Flan can have sweet as well as savory filling, whereas Creme caramel is always sweet.
Comparison Table Between Flan and Creme caramel
| Parameter of Comparison | Flan | Creme Caramel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is a dish with a base of open sponge or a round pastry and it can have a sweet, salty, or spicy filling. | It is a custard dessert garnished with a coating of caramel sauce. |
| Origin | Flan found its origin from the Roman cuisine. | Creme caramel found its origin from France. |
| Served | This dish is served cold. | This dessert can be served either hot or cold, according to a person’s liking. |
| Ingredients | Pastry, vegetables, and custard are the main ingredients in Flan. | Egg is the main ingredient in Creme Caramel. |
What is Flan?
Flan is a famous dish in Spain, which can be found all over the world today, with a few changes in its preparation. It is wrongly considered to be a dessert only; it can be served as a main course as well. It is a dish with a base of open sponge or a round pastry and it can have a sweet, salty, or spicy filling. Pastry, vegetables, and custard are the main ingredients in Flan.
There are many varieties of flans:
1) A sweet pastry that is like tart and has filling is known as fruit flan. It is baked in a particular ring that does not have a bottom. A baking sheet, on which the flan ring is placed is used to bake this fruit flan. Fresh fruits such as apricots, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or combinations of these, or pastry cream are topped on the baked shell of the pastry.
2) A baked dessert of custard crowned with caramel is known as dessert flan. Then there is coffee flan, dark chocolate flan, mango flan, coconut flan, cream cheese flan, pineapple flan, Mexican flan, vegan flan, and so on.
Sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cream, and flavorings such as orange, coffee, vanilla, or coconut are the ingredients used to make a dessert flan. Being an egg-based custard, a flan is fragile and hence baked in water.
We found the best deal(s) on Amazon for you
| Preview | Product | |
|---|---|---|
| Goya Foods Flan Custard with Caramel, 2.75 Ounce (Pack of 36) | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Goya Flan Box - 3 Pack | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Goya Flan with Caramel 5.5 OZ(Pack of 6) | Check Price on Amazon |
What is Creme caramel?
It can be said that the Creme caramel is one of the most classic and oldest desserts. It is served in almost all countries today and loved by many people. It is a very delicious dessert and absolutely elegant. It found its origin from France.
It is perfect for parties or gatherings since it is one of those desserts that can be prepared in advance. This dish occupied a large area in the dessert menus of restaurants as it was convenient to prepare a lot in advance.
Creme caramel is a custard dessert garnished with a coating of caramel sauce. The sugar syrup is cooked to the stage of the caramel and is then added to the mold, on which the base of the custard is added. Egg is the main ingredient in this dessert. The milk can be seasoned with cinnamon, vanilla, or lemon peel. It can be served either hot or cold, according to a person’s liking.
The final texture is creamy, slimy, and gelatinous and hence it has to be carefully dealt with since the custard may easily overturn. Utmost care is also required to ensure that the dish is not overcooked or undercooked. To avoid burning the caramel, one must cook it in a bain-marie.
We found the best deal(s) on Amazon for you
| Preview | Product | |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan's Skinny Syrups Sugar Free Vanilla Caramel Creme 750 ml (Pack of 2) with By The Cup Coaster | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Jordan's Skinny Syrups Sugar Free Vanilla Caramel Crème and Salted Caramel 750 ml Bottles with 2 By... | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Vanilla Caramel Crème, Sugar Free Coffee Flavoring Syrup, 25.4 Ounce... | Check Price on Amazon |
Main Differences Between Flan and Creme caramel
Conclusion
Both Flan and Creme caramel are French names. One often gets confused between them, but studying closely, they realize that both the terms are different. In many places, mainly the United States and the Spanish speaking countries, Creme caramel is known as Flan. In different places, Flan has different meanings. Flan found its origin from the Roman cuisine, while Creme caramel found its origin from France.
Flan is not just a dessert; it can be served as a main course also. On the other hand, Creme caramel can be served as a dessert only. Flan is a dish with a base of open sponge or a round pastry and it can have a sweet, salty, or spicy filling, whereas Creme caramel is a custard dessert garnished with a coating of caramel sauce.
References
Last update on 2022-06-13 / Amazon Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmnpyWu26tzZ1knKqVorJur8CrmKadnGQ%3D