The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Chinese and Portuguese egg tarts? ›

Another distinct difference between Portuguese egg tarts and other egg tarts like English egg tarts or Chinese egg tarts is that the Portuguese tart uses only egg yolks and also includes a light puff pastry, whereas the English tart and Chinese egg tart uses whole eggs and a denser pie crust-like dough for the outside.

Hong Kong egg tarts are typically smaller and served in twos or threes, in contrast to the original Guangzhou egg tarts which were larger and could be served as a single item. The custard filling may be flavored with chocolate, green tea, or bird's nest, and the outer shell may be made with pastry.

Sieve the egg custard mixture twice to ensure the egg custard will be smooth after baking. Using a lower temperature for baking will result in a smoother egg custard as it doesn't expand too much and spill over while baking.

Custard tarts have long been a favourite pastry in Britain and the Commonwealth, where they are often called "egg custard tarts" or simply "egg custards" to distinguish the egg-based filling from the commonly served cornflour-based custards. They are sold in supermarkets and bakeries throughout the UK.

Portugal's tart has a flaky crust that is like the Hong Kong version. The two taste somewhat similar, but the pastel de nata has a caramelised surface, while the daan tat top is smooth and glossy.

Hong-Kong style egg tarts, or dan tat in Cantonese, are probably my favorite pastry. Period. And the best part is, you can make them at home!

While daan tat had its origins in mainland China, it wasn't until after World War II that the Cantonese egg tart made its way to Hong Kong, as wealthy Cantonese people migrated to the major port city. It's in Hong Kong that the pastry was perfected, helping to catapult the city's status to global food destination.

Egg tarts aka 'dan tat 蛋挞' in cantonese are best served when they out of the oven— warm and crispy. The egg filling is soft and slightly sweet with a delicious egg flavor. The crust is buttery and flakey with a crispy and soft texture (similar to a croissant).

Instead of using the expensive, imported ingredients the British tarts called for, like butter and custard powder, chefs used lard to make flaky puff pastry and whisked together a filling of eggs, sugar, water, and a touch of milk.

Egg tarts, with contain a vanilla custard filling made of eggs and dairy, require refrigeration if you don't intend to consume them within six hours after baking. To maintain their freshness and flavor, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Why is my egg tart watery? ›

However if the proteins are overcooked, either by using a temperature that is too high or just cooking for too long, then the proteins will come together so tightly that they will start to squeeze out water and this causes the weeping in an egg custard (or the scientific term for this is syneresis).

German pudding uses heavy cream while classic egg tart uses milk or evaporated milk. The filling texture for German pudding is creamy, while the classic egg tart is silky smooth like a steamed egg. Prebake the refrigerated tart to avoid the crust turning soggy because of the addition of liquid.

Instead of a short, crumbly pastry, the pastel de nata has a crisp, slightly salty, layered crust; and, rather than the firm, egg-rich fillings of the classic British or French custard tart, the filling is almost molten, and spiced with cinnamon and lemon zest, as opposed to our peppery nutmeg or sweet vanilla.

The origin of Pastel de Nata dates back to before the 18th century, where they were created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in the parish of Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon. At that time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes.

No. It's not technically a Chinese native, however. Custard egg tarts have been a British confectionary since the medieval times andPortuguese pasteis de nata have been around since the 18th century, first made by Catholic monks in Belém,Portugal. How does pastel de nata differ from the Portuguese-style egg tart (葡撻)?

Macau's Chinese cooks made their own version of pasteis de nata that is creamier, a little bit less sweet, and more egg-y in flavor. Chinese people refer to this dessert as “Po Tat” (Portuguese tart).

One of the reasons that pastéis de nata aren't exactly custard tarts as we know them in the UK is that the custard itself is somewhere between an egg custard and Bird's, in that it's thickened by egg yolks and larger than normal amounts of starch.