Close

Making purchases at Amazon.com and other website funds this website by generating revenue. Any help is appreciated and supports both me and content like this.


Dan Tat (蛋撻) aka Chinese Egg Tart

Dan Tat (蛋撻) aka Chinese Egg Tart is a egg custard desert that is commonly served in Dim Sum Restaurant. The sweet egg custard and the flaky puff pastry makes it one of most popular item in Dim Sum. The base ingredients is very simple, just flour, butter, sugar, egg custard and milk. Something that most people have at home. Today, you might even be able to find it in some supermarket frozen isle. However, they dont taste anywhere as good as those in the restaurant.


Dan Tat (蛋撻) aka Chinese Egg Tart Quick Summary

Categories
Lap Cheong or Chinese Sausage
TasteSweet Egg Custard Center with Flaky Exterior. It gives a nice contrast in texture and taste.
UsesUsually eaten at breakfast as a desert. Goes well with Tea and Coffee.
Health and NutritionHigh in Saturated Fat, Sugar and Calories. It is recommended to eat in moderation.
Shelf LifeBest eaten fresh. Don’t go past 4-5 hours or it will not taste the same.
ThoughtsOne of the most iconic dish in Hong Kong Dim Sum Restaurant. It was induced into the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage. If you have never tried it, I recommend you give it a try.
Recommended Best Egg Tart MoldKangkang@ 20pcs/set Flower Cake Egg Tart Mold Aluminium Alloy Dia 7cm Cupcake Cake Cookie Mold DIY Wedding Party Baking Egg Tart Tools

Dan Tat (蛋撻) Egg Tart History

Dan Tat was developed in the early 20th century in the Guangdong Province of China. It was a fusion between Chinese steamed egg (燉蛋) and the English Egg Custard. During that time, trade with the Britain was growing. Stores and restaurant were tasked with developing a dish that suited their taste. The Zheng Guang Restaurant (真光酒樓) was said to be the first to use lard as a puff pastry filling.

Since then, the popularity grew and it migrated to Hong Kong in the 1940’s. Originally it could only be found in High End restaurant but soon Tea Restaurant (茶餐廳) starting to serve them. Tea Restaurant were more of a casual diner that was meant to serve the lower working class. They offered an affordable way to eat “Western Dishes”. Their version or Dan Tat was originally very large and often served as a lunch. Overtime, the sizes of the tart started becoming smaller. Today, Dan Tat or the Chinese Egg Tart can be found in any dim sum establishment. They are popular throughout Asia and areas of North America with a prominent Chinese Population.

Variations

There are quite a few different variations. In Macau, they will caramelize the top much like a Creme Brulee. This was basically a copy of the Portuguese version of the Egg tart called Pastel De Nata (葡式蛋塔). The Chinese even call it Po Tat (葡撻). In Britain, they have the Custard Tart. These are usually topped with Nutmeg or Cinnamon. They have both a large and smaller individual serving. You can often find them topped with fruits.

Taste

The center taste like a egg custard it is generally very sweet. The exterior should be flaky and light. These two contrasting texture and flavor combines very well. You can usually finish it in one or two bites.

Dan Tat Nutrional Value

Like any desert, these are not healthy. They are high in calorie, sugar and fat. However, it is also high in protein. Below, you will find the nutritional value per 100 Gram.

Nutrients contained Content (per 100 grams) unit
Calories 374.83 g
Carbohydrate 37.05 g
fat 22.44 g
protein 6.33 g
Cellulose 0.9 g

Where to Buy Dan Tat

In Asia you can find it in any Dim Sum restaurant. Sometimes they are sold in stalls by the street. They are also found in bakery throughout asia. Sometimes you will even have to wait in line just to buy it. In North America, you can only find them in Dim Sum Restaurant. Sometimes you can find frozen varieties in the Asian Supermarket. However, if you never tried it before, I recommend getting it in a restaurant. Nothing compared to a freshly baked egg tart.

The restaurant “泰昌餅家” is one of the most famous maker of Dan Tat. Here is a Chinese News Excerpt of people waiting in line for their Chinese Egg Tart.

Dan Tat (蛋撻) aka Chinese Egg Tart Thoughts

This is one of the most iconic dish in Dim Sum. It was even introduced as into the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage. It remains popular as a break fast dishes of Chinese people. You can consider it be the Muffin equivalent in Chinese Culture. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend that you give it a try. You wont be disappointed.


I hope you find my article on Dan Tat (蛋撻) aka Chinese Egg Tart to be enlightening, please visit the Article page for more!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Curated Cook


Sign Up For Our Email List!

We will keep you up to date with the latest
Articles, Reviews and Cookware Deals.


You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

Curated Cook will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.