Flan, also known as crème caramel and caramel custard, is a egg and milk-based dessert with a layer of caramelized sugar on top. What’s particularly notable about flan is its global reach. This dessert is embraced by the French, Spanish, Mexicans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Japanese, Argentinians and Uruguayans, to name a few.
The dish has spread across Europe and the world. Both ‘crème caramel’ and ‘flan’ are French names, but have come to have different meanings in different regions. In Spanish-speaking countries and in North America, ‘flan’ refers to crème caramel; this was originally a Spanish usage, but the dish is now best-known in the United States in a Latin American context. Elsewhere, including in France, ‘flan’ usually means a custard tart, often with a fruit topping. In Europe and many Commonwealth countries, the dish is generally known as crème caramel.
In Saigon, banh kem flan are sold in sweet shops that usually also dish up che. The flan are made in small plastic containers and refrigerated until served. Once an order is placed, the flan are inverted onto a plate and topped with crushed ice or small ice cubes. A plate of two banh kem flan goes for 4,000 VND. Once, I ate a banh kem flan that was topped with a shot of espresso in addition to ice. It was too bitter for me, but I can definitely see the appeal for a coffee lover. Banh kem flan can also be purchased from road side vendors and consumed at home. Inverting is completely optional.
Muscadines are one of the best reasons for visiting Alabama in early fall. The fruits resemble grapes on the outside, but their flavor and texture are far more complex and satisfying. Think: sweet and tart with a twist of fermented. This muscadine cobbler recipe comes from Petals from the Past, a pick-it-yourself fruit farm outside Birmingham. The unique white bread topping caramelizes beautifully and pairs harmoniously with the softened and sweetened fruit.
For filling
- 4 to 5 cups of fruit
- 1/2 to 1 cup water
- 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
For topping
- Slices of white bread
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
Make filling
Begin by washing muscadines in cold water. Spread fruit on kitchen towels to dry.
Separate the pulp from the hulls.
Place pulp and any liquid from pulp in a pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes and remove from heat. Once cooled, remove seeds from mixture using a combination of fingers and spoons. [This step is not as straightforward as it sounds; we never did manage to devise a perfect technique for seed removal.]
Add hulls to the pulp along with 1/2 to 1 cup water and return to heat. Cook until hulls are tender, approximately one hour. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and add to hull/pulp mixture. Continue to cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is slightly thickened. Place in a greased 9×14 inch dish.
Make topping
Remove crust from the bread and cover the fruit mixture. Combine 2/3 cup sugar, melted butter, beaten egg and vanilla. Pour over bread.
Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown.
The birthplace of pho has a lot more going for it culinarily speaking than just piping hot noodles. From sweet sticky rice topped with ice cream to crab meat-stuffed egg rolls, Hanoi’s dining scene is magically delicious. As a Hanoi tourist, I found the city’s food options to be less numerous than Saigon’s, but the concentrated geography of the Old Quarter makes it much easier to navigate and sample the capital’s greatest hits without missing a beat. The Hanoi Top 10 will live in the orange tab next to the Saigon Top 10 for easy access.
