Flan
/flæn/noun
A baked custard dessert with a caramel topping or, in some regions, a shallow open pastry tart.
Did you know?Flan comes through Old French from Latin flado/fladonem, and in medieval Europe it could mean a flat cake or tart long before it became the glossy caramel custard many people know today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰleh₁-
“to swell, blow up, or expand”
Latin
Latin
flado, fladonem
“a flat cake or unleavened pastry”
Old French
Old French
flaon
“a flat cake or custard tart”
Middle English
English
flan
“a flat cake or tart”
Modern English
English
flan
“a baked custard dessert or tart”