Egg tart

What makes it egg tart

• A glossy yellow custard of egg, sugar and milk, set just firm and not browned.
• Short, buttery pastry or flaky puff pastry.
• Small, and eaten warm from the oven.

Where it comes from

Usually traced to Guangzhou in the early twentieth century, in the tea rooms of department stores, perhaps after the British custard tart; it became a fixture of Hong Kong bakeries and cha chaan teng. Macau's version, with a blistered, scorched top, is later and closer to the Portuguese pastel de nata.

How it varies

Puff pastry tart

Flaky, layered crust.

Shortcrust tart

Crumbly and buttery, the more common kind.

Macanese egg tart

Caramelised on top, after the pastel de nata.