It’s Crème Brûlée Day, so we’re tapping into this delicious, and our favourite, dessert and sharing 20 facts about it with you and a French wine pairing recommendation. Let’s dig in!
- Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert with a rich custard base made from cream, egg yolks, and sugar, topped with a hard caramelised sugar crust. It is known for its contrasting textures, with the smooth, creamy custard beneath a crisp, crackling layer of caramel.
- Crème brûlée literally means burnt cream in French. Sometimes it is simply called burnt cream in English.
- The name “crème brûlée” first appeared in François Massialot’s 1691 French cookbook.
- However, Trinity College in Cambridge in the UK claims to have invented a similar dessert called “Trinity Cream” in the 17th century.
- An English recipe from 1769 by Elizabeth Raffald included egg whites and flour, instead of cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla, without flour or egg whites found in the modern French version.
- Crème brûlée gained popularity in the 1980s, becoming a staple on restaurant menus.
- Crème brûlée is traditionally served at room temperature.
- Crème brûlée is often served in shallow, wide ceramic dishes called ramekins.
- The caramelized sugar top is traditionally created using a salamander, a round cast iron disk with a long handle.
- Modern chefs often use a small butane torch to caramelize the sugar topping but some will put it under a broiler.
- The French version of crème brûlée is typically flavoured with vanilla.
- Some variations of crème brûlée include flavours like chocolate, coffee, or fruit. The dessert is sometimes garnished with fresh berries or mint leaves.
A Chocolate Crème Brûlée from Kevin is Cooking https://keviniscooking.com/chocolate-creme-brulee/ - In Spain, a similar dessert called crema catalana is traditionally served on Saint Joseph’s Day on 19 March, a day celebrating Saint Jospeh, husband of the Virgin Mary. It’s seen as a Spanish Father’s Day. It is flavoured with lemon or orange zest and cinnamon.
- The Italians have crema bruciata (essentially the Italian translation of crème brûlée) but it is most commonly coffee flavoured.
- Crème brûlée is often associated with French haute cuisine and is sometimes served as part of a dessert trio in high-end restaurants.
- The contrast between the hard caramel top and the creamy custard is a key feature of the dessert.
- Some chefs experiment with savoury versions of crème brûlée, using ingredients like cheese or foie gras.
- Some people collect vintage crème brûlée dishes and torches.
- The world record for the largest crème brûlée was set by students of the Le Cordon Bleu Program at the Orlando Culinary Academy in the United States in 2005. This colossal dessert weighed 1,599.96 lb (725.72 kg). The preparation of this record-breaking crème brûlée required an impressive amount of ingredients, including:
7,200 eggs
2,500 pounds (approximately 1,133.98 kilograms) of sugar
1,000 litres of cream. - Crème Brûlée Day is celebrated annually on 27 July.
A FRENCH WINE PAIRING FOR CRÈME BRÛLÉE DAY
Philippe Mady from Dynamic Wines recommends pairing Clos Uroulat Jurancon 2020 375ml with Crème brûlée. He says:
Crème brûlée, being made from cream and baked, is a dessert which would pair nicely with a sweet, aromatic Jurançon moelleux from the French Pyrenees mountains such as Clos Uroulat Jurançon 2020 375ml. The wine’s aromas of fresh fruit (apricot, mango, very ripe pineapple), honey and cinnamon notes complement the dessert’s rich vanilla custard, while its balanced acidity cuts through the crunchy caramelized sugar topping, enhancing the overall flavour experience.
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So there you go! Everything you could want to know about Crème Brûlée. Will you crack into a Crème Brûlée today?
Want to see other French food day articles? Check out the below.
Chocolate Eclair Day : be quick because it’ll be gone in a flash
Rôtisserie Chicken Day: A celebration of Napoleon Bonaparte’s favourite dish and a wine pairing
Cheese Soufflé Day 2024: 10 facts and some French wine pairings
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It’s Crêpe Suzette Day: discover the history of the dish and recommended French wine pairings
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International Croissant Day 2022: Warning don’t read this while you’re hungry!
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