FEATURE // Crème caramel
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o c m t e f o e rt w
Crème caramel may look simple, but the dessert requires finesse to get right. WORDS Aristine Dobson CARAMEL AND CUSTARD are stalwarts
original inventors of the dish. After Arab
“Pudim is what crème caramel is called
two create crème caramel (aka flan), a
Spanish cooks developed a sweet, soft
staple desserts we have, and regions have
in the pastry world. When combined, the dessert that has long been revered for
its simplicity. Different versions are set apart by ingredients, preparation and presentation, but linked together by
foundational crème caramel markers.
Hospitality speaks to Sweet Belem’s
José Silva and Institut Polaire’s Gabriela Macedo about the makings of a good
crème caramel, their takes on the dessert and why it will always be on the menu.
Crème caramel is ubiquitous within French cookery, but Spaniards claim to be the 62 | Hospitality
traders brought sugarcane to Europe,
custard that would go on to inspire spinoffs across the globe.
in Portuguese,” he says. “It’s one of the different recipes.”
Pudim has been a long-time favourite for
Today, crème caramel is a classic dessert
Silva, with the dish eliciting fond memories
leche flan uses evaporated and condensed
one of my favourite things (I love anything
within multiple cuisines. The Philippines’ milk to form the custard, with the same
ingredients found in crème caramels made in parts of South America. In Japan, purin skips the cooking process altogether by using gelatin to set the dessert.
Sweet Belem Owner Jose Silva hails
from Portugal where crème caramel is made and enjoyed across the country.
of his upbringing. “I grew up with it and it’s custardy),” he says. “I came to Australia when I was 12, so I spent a lot of my
childhood in Portugal. Crème caramel was my go-to dessert as a kid and my aunties always made it for special occasions.”
Institut Polaire’s Head Chef Gabriela
Macedo has similar sentiments towards crème caramel, and considers it to be a
