I vividly remember the first time I tried a Chinese (or perhaps Cantonese) egg tart. I'd told the friend I was dining with that I wasn't so keen on custard tarts and I would be alright without trying one. She persisted and I ate half of one of these small pastry nests with one bite. It was some kind of eye-opener, I'll tell you. I recently offered one to my mother, and her reaction was as happily surprised as mine.
The main differences between Cantonese egg tarts and an English custard tarts are in the personality of the dessert. (I think I can get away with that...) The eastern versions are artful, delicate and light. English egg tarts are quite heavy and dull; an overload of bland and gelatinous custard in a thick pastry case. Their eastern counterparts are simply delightful, and I recommend trying them to anyone. They are finer, less brutal, butterier, more elegant and a darn sight better. It also helps that they contribute perfectly to my favourite kind of Oriental cuisine: dim sum.
Get out and have some egg tarts today! The lunchtime menus at Royal China in Putney, Pearl Liang in Paddington and Imperial China in Chinatown should make for some top nosh, if you fancy trying one. Also have a look at Cafe Lisboa on Golbourne Road. These are Portuguese egg tarts, and whilst they are different, they are also seriously worth sampling.
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