One of the oldest desserts in European cuisine: Sant joseph’s cream.

Catalan cream is one of the oldest and most traditional desserts in Catalan cuisine. It is also known as "burnt cream" or "Sant Joseph’s cream". Made with egg, sugar, flour, and milk; and with a layer of sugar on top that make it irresistible.

But ... where does the Catalan cream come from, why is it a tradition to eat it on Sant Josephs’ day? In this article we reveal the origin and its tradition.

Origins

In the cookbooks of the Middle Ages, we already find a mention under the name of "cooked milk" or "lluixell", elaborations made from goat's milk and eggs. We can also find a diary called “Calaix de Sastre”, written between 1768 and 1819 by Rafael d’Amat Cortada, baron of Maldà, where several references are made to Catalan cream.

In addition, there is a legend that tells us about a bishop visiting a nunnery. During his visit, the bishop receives as a gift a typical crème caramel of the territory. Once the crème caramel was made, the nuns realized that they had too much liquid left. To fix it, they added a layer of burnt sugar. When they offered the crème caramel to the bishop, the sugar was still very hot and when he tasted it, he exclaimed “Crema! Crema!” (In Catalan: it is too hot!!). And that is where the name of the famous plate from according to the fable.

Tradition

The origin of the tradition of eating Catalan cream in Sant Joseph’s (on March 19) dates back historically to these dates because at that time, in farm, there was a surplus of eggs and the hens laid many more than the rest of the year. As there was an overproduction, the houses that had livestock used to prepare this typical sweet of our gastronomy.

To continue with the tradition, many families continue to make their own Sant joseph’s cream. If you want to eat and you want to prepare one, here you have the preparation in a Royal sachet so for you to make at home.

In Catalonia we have the tradition of celebrating everything with good desserts and a good cava. And for Father's Day, we cannot think of a better idea than to recover this beautiful tradition and prepare one of the best desserts: a Sant joseph’s cream.