Subject: Re: Difference between quiche & flan?

From: [email-masked] (Renee Florsheim)
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 21:07:44

>Is the use of "flan" vs. "quiche" so much a difference between
>American English and British English?  As a Spanish teacher, flan
>is always shown to be an egg custard, a dessert item.  My experi-
>ence is that we Americans have taken the Spanish dessert, flan,
>and the French egg pie, quiche, and therefore see them and call
>them by two different names.  "Flan" in Spain, or Mexico, or
>Argentina should produce an egg custard, frequently with a 
>"burnt sugar" or caramelized-sugar topping.

>Elise/Alys

Funny that this should come up this weekend.  I was just in a cookbook store 
this weekend with a friend who sells cookware and who was looking up the 
origins of the word "flan".  It turns out there are two, one of spanish or 
mexican origin, and one of french origin.  The french one seems to be also a 
dessert item, but (at least as I understand it) the pan is more like a tart 
pan with a raised center in the bottom.  When turned upside down, it leaves an 
indentation into which one can put a filling, such as fruit.  It seems to me 
that several years ago a friend served me something similar, which she 
insisted was called a torte (not my experience of what a torte was).  Anyway, 
it's all very confusing.  The only thing which I can definitely say is that a 
quiche is traditionally a savory egg  and cheese custard dish in a crust.

Renee

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From: [email-masked] (Janet M. Lafler)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 07:56:17 GMT

Renee Florsheim <[email-masked]> wrote:
>pan with a raised center in the bottom.  When turned upside down, it leaves
>an indentation into which one can put a filling, such as fruit.  It seems to 
>me that several years ago a friend served me something similar, which she 
>insisted was called a torte (not my experience of what a torte was).  

This gets into one of my pet peeves, the promiscuous (mis)use of the term 
"torte."  It particularly irritates me when I see a tart labelled a torte. 
Arrgh. 

>Anyway, 

I agree with what seems to be the American usage of the terms "quiche" and
"flan."  A quiche is baked in a pie shell, and includes cheese, some sort
of meat and/or vegetable filling, and an egg custard.  A flan is a sweet
custard without any kind of crust, but with a caramel sauce or topping of  
some sort.  My guess is that in British usage a flan is any kind of custard 
baked in a pie shell, whether sweet or savory.

/Janet

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From: Alan Deacon <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 13:40:22 GMT

>Elise/Alys

In my naivete I always thought that the term 'flan' came from the 
old dish 'flaunes' 

   FLAUNES

   Take new cheese, and grynde hit fayne, in mortar with eggs without
   dysware. Put powder thereto of sugar I say, coloure hit with Safrone
   ful wel thou may. Put hit in cofyns that be fayre, and bake it forthe
   I thee pray.

Flaunes are still made in Cyprus (Greek and Turkish) where they are
flavoured with mint and served as Easter treats. Having not had dairy
produce for the whole of lent, they make a welcome change!

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