![]() Others say that in the 1920s, a restaurant in Guangzhou replaced the shortbread crust common in English custard tarts for the flaky pastry crust already being used in the other local items like barbecued pork buns. As primarily Western ingredients, things like butter and custard were hard and expensive to come by, and the Chinese already had a recipe for steamed eggs, so the switch was natural. Some credit the development of the egg tart to Chinese chefs observing their Western counterparts in the kitchen and modifying the English custard tart recipe to fit local ingredients, swapping out the custard and butter for eggs, milk, and lard. Their presence in Guangzhou resulted in a fusion of flavours, but also a confusing start to the classic Hong Kong egg tart. A saying amongst chefs is that the Chinese eat for the flavour of the sauce, whereas Westerners eat for the flavour of the ingredients, prompting these businessmen to bring their own chefs. As British businessmen set up their operations across China, they ran into the problem of a tricky palate. Given that Canton was the only accessible port for foreign traders and businessmen, the local cuisine was heavily influenced by global flavours and recipes, one of which was the English custard tart.Įnglish custard tarts have a deep history in British baking history, supposedly making regular appearances in the court of Henry VIII. Egg tarts are no exception, and there is not a singular agreed-upon origin story of the pastry, although the popular consensus is that it did come from Canton (now Guangzhou). The core of Hong Kong culture is essentially a story of fusion and mash-ups, a result of generations of Hongkongers living under British colonial rule. ![]() ![]() If dessert enthusiasts want to try the original recipe from when the tart was first introduced to Macau, Lord Stow’s Bakery, the shop set up in Coloane Village by British pharmacist Andrew Stow in 1989, still churns out authentic Macanese tarts. The famous Macanese egg tar t-inspired by the Portuguese pastel de nata (“cream pastry”)-looks quite similar to the Hong Kong egg tart, but features a torched top and a filo pastry crust. Macanese egg tarts sky-rocketed to fame across Asia after its recipe was sold to KFC in 1999. ![]() The Hong Kong egg tart does have a close cousin, although the degree of relationship varies depending on who you speak to. There is a bit of debate amongst Hong Kong locals as to which crust is superior, but it’s all in good fun! Regardless of which you prefer, the crust is often made with lard or vegetable shortening to keep its buttery and flakey goodness, so egg tarts are not quite the vegetarian-friendly treat you would imagine. Most bakeries and dim sum restaurants make theirs with a flaky puff pastry crust with multiple layers, but certain bakers will pay homage to the tart’s Western history and utilise a rich and buttery shortbread crust. Translating quite literally into “egg tart,” the pastry consists of an eggy custard centre with a pastry crust. The Chinese egg custart tart is derived from the Portugese egg tart, or pastel de nata.Egg tarts (蛋撻 daan6 taat1) are well-recognised pastries of Hong Kong, both locally and internationally. It is also served piping hot (preferably) rather than at room temperature like English custard tarts. Unlike in English custard tarts, milk is normally not added to the egg custard, and the tart is not sprinkled with ground nutmeg or cinnamon before serving. Most Hong Kong Chinese food purists hold the egg tarts made with puff pastry in higher regard. Overall, Hong Kong egg tarts have two main types of outer casings: shortcrust pastry and puff pastry, traditionally made with lard rather than butter or shortening. Today, egg tarts come in many variations within Hong Kong cuisine, including egg white tarts, milk tarts, honey-egg tarts, ginger-flavoured egg tarts (the last two mentioned were variations of a traditional milk custard and egg custard, which was usually served in cha chaan tengs, chocolate tarts, green-tea-flavoured tarts, and even bird's nest tarts). The tarts consist of an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked. Commonly found in Hong Kong and other Asian countries. The Egg tarts or egg custard tarts is a pastry.
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