When it comes to baked treats bursting with the rich aroma of egg yolk, one pastry springs to mind straight away: the egg tart, with its signature scorched top. It has a surprisingly interesting story, so we have put together 3 fascinating facts about the egg tart for you to enjoy.
1. The Egg Tart Is a Baked Pastry
The egg tart is classed as a baked good, or pastry, because its main ingredients are flour, sugar, milk, butter and eggs, and because it is made by baking.
2. What Makes the Egg Tart Special
People trying an egg tart for the first time may wonder why the top looks burnt. Was it a mistake? Not at all. The scorched surface is completely intentional and is the hallmark of a true egg tart.
This burnt finish is called a caramelized top: the tart is baked until the sugar on the surface browns and crisps. It comes from a special mixture and a special baking method that draws the sugar to the top, creating the crisp, fragrant crust of the original recipe.
3. The Origins of the Egg Tart
The egg tart is a Portuguese dessert. According to its history, it was created before the 16th century by Catholic monks at the Hieronymites Monastery in the civil parish of Saint Mary of Bethlehem in Lisbon. At the time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg whites to starch clothes so they would hold their shape, which left them with plenty of leftover yolks. They turned those yolks into cakes and pastries, including the egg tart.
Later, after the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and the dissolution of the religious orders, many convents and monasteries faced closure. To earn an income, the monks and nuns began selling egg tarts at a nearby sugar refinery, and the tarts became hugely popular.
In 1837 the monastery finally closed. The monks and nuns sold the recipe to the owner of the sugar refinery, who opened a bakery called "Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém" that same year. This was the starting point from which the egg tart spread around the world.
