Philippines’ leche flan takes its sweet spot as the world’s 3rd best custard on Taste Atlas

September is in, and Jose Mari Chan might already be lurking around the corner, humming his Christmas tunes. For Filipinos, it’s the early start of the Christmas celebration, but you might want to take out your llaneras (tin molds) to celebrate our beloved leche flan as it hits the third spot in Taste Atlas’ list of best custards in the world.

In a culinary battle on the global food scene, our very own leche flan, has soared to custard greatness, clinching third place with a stellar rating of 4.5 stars by Taste Atlas, the world almanac of traditional food, cuisines, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants.

This dessert shares the limelight with the frozen custard from Wisconsin, USA, which claimed the top spot, and France’s crème brûlée at second place.

So what makes our custard a superstar? The leche flan is not your average dessert; it’s a cultural phenomenon. From every fiesta to birthday and special occasions, this vanilla-infused custard is one of the stars on every Filipino table.

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As Taste Atlas put it, “Leche flan is a Filipino dessert that is essentially a caramel custard consisting of milk, sugar, and eggs, with the addition of vanilla flavoring. Traditionally, it’s oval-shaped due to the use of tin molds called llaneras.”

Top of the custard heap

Our Leche Flan outshone other custards worldwide, leaving Italy’s Zabaione in fourth place, Portugal’s Leite de Creme in fifth, Germany’s Bavarian Cream at sixth, and Spain’s Crema Catalana in seventh place. Here’s the official Taste Atlas list of the Top 10 Best Rated Custards in the World.

Learn all about the best-rated custards in the world: https://t.co/fVA27oJrk5 pic.twitter.com/Az62xL38Hx

— TasteAtlas (@TasteAtlas) August 23, 2023

But leche flan’s history is more than just its current ranking; it’s also a tale of culinary history. We are not taking all the credit for its ranking, but we’re also sharing it with Spain—leche flan’s country of origin. We inherit this caramel-infused dessert back in the Spanish colonization days.

Since then, we have embraced and elevated it to star status at countless festive occasions and celebrations. Whenever leche flan is around, something special is going on; give it to us Filipinos for always preparing a grand feast for every occasion.

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While leche flan is currently getting all the fame, let’s not forget how it was always a star in another Pinoy favorite—halo-halo, which also earned a spot in this year’s “10 Best Rated Ice Creams in the World” alongside Pinoy sorbetes.

Where to savor the best Filipino flan

While Taste Atlas suggests serving this sweet custard with a delectable coating of vanilla syrup, they also recommend the following places to to taste the finest leche flans in the Philippines.

• Manam Comfort Food
• Kabila
• Conti’s
• Bacolod Chicken Inasal
• The Lobby Peninsula

In a nutshell, the Philippines leche flan is now a world-class dessert. Raising our spoons full of Pinoy pride, cheers to this classic Pinoy dessert.