The History of Cream Cheese Flan
Flan is a popular custard dessert that is commonly associated with Central America and the Caribbean. The basic ingredients of what is considered "traditional" flan are evaporated and condensed milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Traditional flan is also coated with caramel and may be served warm or cool. Many variations of this basic kind of flan have been and continue to be created. One such variation is the soft cheese or cream cheese flan. Does this Spark an idea?
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Roots
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Caramel is a traditional topping for flan. Flan itself has existed for more than 2,000 years and may be traced to ancient Rome. The Romans, who created and enjoyed many egg-based foods, developed a dish called "flado" (meaning "flat cake" or "custard"), which could be made in either sweet or savory versions. As the Romans extended their empire, the recipe for flado was brought to many other countries, including Spain and France, where this kind of dish became particularly popular.
Variations
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The custard or pudding known as "flado" gradually became known more commonly by its Old French name, "flaon." Additionally, many variations existed in how "flaon" was prepared, depending upon the tastes and innovations of a given culture. Variations included cinnamon and sugar, almonds, spinach, fish and cheese. Therefore, the cheese flan, which is similar to cheesecake, saw its emergence in this period of the Roman Empire.
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Growth
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In Medieval Europe, the popularity of flan grew. More and more eggs and milk were used in cooking and food preparation, and during Lent (when the consumption of meat was not permitted) flan became a very important home menu item. Then, as the Spanish set about exploring and conquering lands in the New World, they brought along the recipe for flan. Thus, flan became part of the cuisine of the Americas.
Flan in the Americas
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As with any cuisine that makes its way from one geographical region to another, flan underwent some changes as it became part of the diet of the Americas. New ingredients, such as oranges, coffee and chocolate, were incorporated. Additionally, in some areas soft creamy cheese was mixed in, resulting in "flan de queso," or "cheese flan."
Flan de Queso
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Flan de queso or cream cheese flan became especially popular in Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Gradually, this variation made its way to the United States and, over the years, new chefs and innovative cooks have created their own versions of flan de queso. Even the very popular Philadelphia Cream Cheese brand has published its own recipe for cream cheese flan.
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