Jericalla and flan are two delicious traditional and very popular desserts, almost always expected on after-dinner menus, perfect for all occasions.
Although they are similar in appearance, with a yellow color and a smooth, almost creamy consistency, they are two different dishes, each with a particular history and ways of preparation that distinguish them from each other.
Jericalla is a dessert that has become an icon of the Guadalajara culture, spreading throughout the state of Jalisco. You can find it everywhere, from restaurants to markets, and it is an unmissable culinary experience if you find yourself in this region of Mexico.
Its origins date back to the 19th century, when the Cabañas Hospice housed and cared for orphaned and homeless children. A nun worked there and, on one occasion, she tried to cheer up the children with a sweet morsel of Spanish custard. So, she went to the kitchen and got to work, combining all the ingredients: a little milk, cinnamon, sugar, egg, and a touch of vanilla.
However, when it was time to bake it, the nun got distracted and when she returned to check how the dessert was doing, she realized that the upper part had burned, giving the dish a unique and original flavor.
It is said that the jericalla is so named thanks to Jerica, the place where the nun came from: a town in the province of Castellón, in Valencia, Spain.
Legend has it that this is how one of the most representative dishes of Jalisco was born.
The oldest records on flan place its origin in the time of the Roman Empire, when hens began to be domesticated and eggs used for recipes, expanding the culinary panorama.
Originally, the dish was called tyropatina and consisted of a combination of curdled eggs with different sauces or sweets that gave an additional touch to the flavor.
Later, when the dessert crossed the borders of time and space, in the 7th century, it began to be called flan, which in French means “flat cake”. In France and Europe, it began to be served with the characteristic caramel sauce with which we know it today.
Currently, the main difference is found in the ingredients: while jericalla includes eggs, cow’s milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon, flan is prepared with evaporated milk, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon and sometimes cream cheese. Thus, the consistency of the flan is thicker and creamier, unlike the smooth appearance of the jericalla.
Also, the flan has the caramel cream on top, while the jericalla is slightly toasted with a blowtorch over it so that it creates the “lid”.
With everything and their differences, both desserts are delicious and at Fredy’s Tucan we highly recommend that you try them whenever you have the opportunity.
