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Creme brulee

2 stages from French to English.

Today it means a custard dessert with a caramelized sugar top

Where does the word "creme brulee" come from? It comes from French crème brûlée, adopted directly into English (1880s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
crème brûlée
French · 1690s
"burnt cream"
'burnt cream'; a recipe appears in François Massialot's cookbook of 1691
2
Stage 2 of 2
crème brûlée
English · 1880s
"caramelized custard"
Cambridge's Trinity College serves a version it calls 'burnt cream'
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Read the full story

Creme brulee’s story begins in French: crème brûlée meant “burnt cream.” 'burnt cream'; a recipe appears in François Massialot's cookbook of 1691. It reached English by 1880s as crème brûlée. Cambridge's Trinity College serves a version it calls 'burnt cream'. Today, creme brulee means a custard dessert with a caramelized sugar top.