A custard flavoured with lemon peel and cinnamon, set in a shallow dish, its sugar top burnt to a thin glassy crust.
What makes it crema catalana
Milk, not cream, infused with lemon peel and cinnamon.
Thickened with egg yolks and a little cornflour on the hob.
Sugar burnt on top just before serving.
Where it comes from
Catalans eat it above all on Saint Joseph's day, in March, which is why it's also called crema de Sant Josep. It has a clear likeness to the French crème brûlée, and both sides have claimed to be first; the stories are old, and neither is settled.
Where crème brûlée is baked with cream, crema catalana is made with milk and thickened on the hob, and the top was traditionally burnt with a hot iron disc rather than a torch.