A flan is an open-topped pie, similar to a quiche but, especially in savoury versions, lacking the custard-style filling. The base is of shortcrust pastry, distinguishing it from the tart, which more often has a puff pastry base.

The British savoury flans may have diverged from the sweeter Spanish flans in the Middle Ages. In Latin America, the sweet flan is popular, and many local versions exist, including the Flan napolitano of Mexico and the widespread flan de leche, often eaten with cream.

Etymology

The Modern English word 'flan' and the earlier 'flawn' come from French flan, from Old French flaon, in turn from Medieval Latin fladonem, derived from the Old Castillian flado, a sort of flat cake, probably from an Indo-European root for 'flat' or 'broad'.

Fillings

There are many fillings that can be put in a flan. Cookitsimply.com, a British recipe website, lists 29 flan recipes, 9 of which are sweet and 20 savoury, while the British Food Trust has sixteen, of which six are savoury and ten sweet.Latin American flans are more restrictive in their ingredients, mostly being variants of Crème caramel (which is synonymous with flan in, especially, North America). Despite this smaller ingredient range, they appear to be widely popular. Further afield, the Philippine "leche flan" includes dayap rind as a flavouring,and the Vietnamese ban dua ca ra men includes coconut.