Custards are some of the most decadent and rich desserts, and two of the most popular are flan and panna cotta. At first glance, these dishes look very similar, but they are easy to tell apart when you know what to look for. The flan dessert has a caramel layer on top, for instance, while panna cotta commonly has a fruit coulis or caramel drizzle.
However, there's more to the differences between flan and panna cotta than meets the eye. First of all, flan has Roman and Spanish roots, while panna cotta has Italian roots. Another major difference is the ingredients: Flan gets its structure from using eggs, while panna cotta's structure comes from gelatin.
Because of that, these custard desserts are also prepared differently. Flan is heated in individual baking cups in a stovetop water bath, cooled until set in the refrigerator, and, then, flipped out onto a plate to reveal the caramel bottom, which is now on top. On the other hand, panna cotta is mixed and heated in stages in a pan on the stove, poured into individual molds to set in the refrigerator, and served as is or flipped out onto a plate.
Additionally, flan and panna cotta differ in how they taste even though they have a very similar texture. The dominant flavor in flan is caramel, and it can have a nutty scent. Meanwhile, panna cotta can come in many flavors, including caramel and fruit, and smells more like a milky dessert.
The beloved Spanish dessert — flan We have ancient Romans to thank for the foundation of flan..
