Crème brûlée (French 'burnt cream', IPA in English; in French) is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a salamander or other intense heat source. It is usually served cold in individual ramekins. The custard base is normally flavored with just vanilla, but it can be flavoured in a number of ways, with chocolate, liqueur, fruit, etc.

It is first attested in France, in Massialot's cookbook, in 1691. The French name was used in the English translation of this book, but in the early 18th century, it was called 'burnt cream' in English.The Oxford English Dictionary has a 1723 quotation.

In Britain, it is associated with Trinity College, Cambridge, where it is called 'caramel cream' and where "the college crest was impressed on top of the cream with a branding iron"Davidson, s.v. crème brûlée. It was introduced to Trinity College in 1879,Florence White quoted in Davidson though some cookbooks claim a much older origin.

In Catalonia, it is called crema catalana, and has a custard base aromatised with lemon and cinnamon.

See also

• Crème caramel or flan, a custard topped with a soft caramel sauce
• Portuguese-style egg tart, a custard tart possibily influenced by this dessert

Bibliography

• Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food, ISBN 0192115790.
• various, "Origin of Crème Brulée", Petits Propos Culinaires 31:61 (March 1989). According to ^*, concludes that it is French in origin.

References