Flan is a very well known dessert in the Latin world. In turn it is the perfect companion for gelatin. Flan is a custard made from cow’s milk that gives it a creamy texture when it is ready to eat.
There are two ways of making it. One of those is the traditional homemade way using ingredients such as eggs and milk that you cook in a bain marie, a pan set in another pan with hot water. The other way relies on packages of commercial mixes that make up industrial flan.
Today most people simply use the second way because of the ease of preparation and because it is inexpensive. Furthermore you can buy different flavors of flan, such as chocolate, fruit, etc.
In either case you need milk. Some people prefer to use powdered milk though it is better to use fresh cow’s milk since the final flavor is better than a flan made from canned or powdered milk.
The caseras, vendors, who sell bowls of gelatin on the street also make up flan. Sometimes they even put the two together. The cost is 0.50/S for a cup of gelatin with flan and 1/S for a cup of pure flan.
You must remember that flan is not the same as what we call in Peru “leche asada”. Though they look similar there is difference in the flavor and texture.
You can often find flan in various coffee houses as well as in places where desserts are made and sold. This delicious dessert is always present.
It is important the flan be well prepared, following the instructions on the back of the package, since it involves milk. In places where it gets hot you should always keep your flan in a refrigerator so it does not spoil. In this way you can always enjoy a good flan, whether you make it up yourself from scratch or from a package.
