Everything You Need To Know About The Hong Kong Egg Tart (2024)

FAQs

Everything You Need To Know About The Hong Kong Egg Tart? ›

Egg tarts can be found across Asia, but are particularly popular in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Macau (where there is a huge Portuguese influence). The tarts are simple – a flaky crust (either a sweet cookie dough or puff pastry) filled with a rich, creamy egg custard and baked until set.

The exact origins of the egg tart are unclear and there are several theories as to how they came about. Firstly, the egg tart is often said to be a variation of the English custard tart. Indeed, the Cantonese name for the egg tart, daan tat, comes from the Cantonese word for 'egg' and the English word for 'tart'.

With its silky, sweet egg custard filling encased by crisp and tender puff pastry, this tart is believed to have originated in Canton (now Guangzhou) around the 1920s, in response to the sudden influx of British businessmen and officials and their love of the British egg custard tart.

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.

They're buttery, sweet, and undeniably delicious. The homemade pastry dough is made with powdered sugar for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the sweet custard is enriched with eggs, vanilla, and creamy evaporated milk for a luscious mouthfeel.

Its roots are in the British custard tart made with a creamy filling and a shortcrust dough. The British introduced the custard tart to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in the 1920s, and over time the Cantonese adapted the tarts to suit their own tastes.

Tarts have a long history, and their origins can be traced back to ancient Rome. The word “tart” is thought to derive from the Old French word tarte, which itself is derived from the Latin word torta, meaning “twisted bread”. Tarts were initially made with a variety of fillings, including meats, fish, and vegetables.

Egg tarts started as a symbol of exclusivity and later morphed into a pastry for the people, accessible to all.

Refrigerate egg tarts if consuming the next day. Egg tarts can be heated in a toaster oven over medium heat for 8-12 minutes. Cover the top with an aluminium foil to prevent burning. Egg tarts can be kept for 2 to 3 days.

Buttery layers of flaky puff pastry, filled with a silky, delicate, and subtly sweet egg custard. Chinese bakeries were a big part of my childhood – they were like my candy store!

Are egg tarts traditional? ›

Also called custard tarts, English-style egg tarts have been around since at least the medieval times. Known back then as doucets or darioles, they were served at the coronation banquet of Henry IV in 1399.

Such unique cultural element with widespread popularity and historic value should be well-protected by our community. Therefore, egg tarts are worth the protection they have. Another cultural heritage worth protection is Mahjong.

"Similar to a Little Debbies Swiss Roll except no chocolate. This untried recipe comes from Hong Kong and has a filling of whipped creme. You could also line your favourite fruit in the middle of the roll."

Egg tarts were introduced to Hong Kong via Guangzhou in the 1940s but initially could only be found in higher-end Western-style restaurants. In the 1960s, cha chaan tengs began to serve egg tarts, popularizing the pastry with the working-class Hong Kong population.

They can be enjoyed warm from the oven, at room temperature, or even served cold. Egg tarts have a unique history in both Asian and Portuguese cuisine.

Reheat tip: 10 mins at 160°C in a toaster oven or air. fryer. Your taste buds will thank you! 🔥

Pastéis de nata tarts are pastries inspired by an original recipe called Pastéis de Belém, which were created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Hieronymites Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in the civil parish of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, in Lisbon.

Fun fact: a hungover stockbroker by the name of Lemuel Benedict claimed to have invented eggs benny in New York's Waldorf Hotel in 1894 by ordering buttered toast, poached eggs and crisp bacon with “a hooker of hollandaise.”

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.