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creme brulee

a custard dessert with a caramelized sugar top

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

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

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.

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

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