Quiche vs. Flan — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 14, 2023
Quiche is a savory pie typically filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables and a custard made of eggs and milk. Flan is a sweet or savory dish with a caramelized sugar base, often with a custard texture, but without a crust.
Difference Between Quiche and Flan
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Quiche is a French dish that is essentially a savory pie, usually made with a filling of cheese, vegetables, or meats, and a custard of eggs and milk or cream. Flan, on the other hand, is both a sweet and savory dish but distinctively features a caramel base. While quiche requires a crust, usually made of pie dough or puff pastry, flan can exist without one.
Quiche is popular for its flexible nature, as the fillings can vary widely depending on individual preferences or regional specialties. Flan, although also versatile in its flavors, is most commonly recognized as a dessert with a custard filling, often vanilla-flavored. The defining characteristic of flan is its caramel layer, which provides a sweet contrast to the custard.
Quiche is often served warm, usually as a main course or as part of a brunch or lunch menu. Flan is generally served chilled and is more commonly a dessert, particularly in the United States and Latin America. The texture of quiche is more solid due to the baked custard and crust, while flan has a more gelatinous texture.
In terms of preparation, quiche can be time-consuming due to the need for a crust, and the variety of fillings can complicate the cooking process. Flan typically has fewer ingredients and is often easier to prepare, usually requiring only the caramelization of sugar, and mixing and setting the custard.
Both dishes have international variations and have been adapted to suit various culinary traditions. Quiche is more commonly associated with French and American cuisines, while flan has roots in Spanish cuisine but is also popular in Latin America.
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Comparison Chart
Crust
Usually has a crust
No crust
Texture
More solid, often filled
Gelatinous, smoother
Common Filling
Cheese, vegetables, meats
Custard, often vanilla-flavored
Temperature
Typically served warm
Usually served cold
Origin
French
Spanish, popular in Latin America
Compare with Definitions
Quiche
A savory pie made with a custard filling.
She ordered a spinach and mushroom quiche for brunch.
Flan
A dish with a gelatinous texture.
The flan jiggled as it was served.
Quiche
A dish typically consisting of a crust and baked custard.
She baked a quiche with a flaky crust and smooth custard.
Flan
A caramelized custard dessert.
She loves the silky texture of flan.
Quiche
A French dish often served warm.
We enjoyed a delicious quiche fresh from the oven.
Flan
A dish usually served cold.
Flan is best when chilled overnight.
Quiche
A dish that can include various fillings like cheese, vegetables, or meats.
His favorite quiche is loaded with ham and cheese.
Flan
A Spanish dish popular in Latin American cuisine.
Flan is a staple dessert in many Hispanic households.
Quiche
Quiche ( KEESH) is a French tart consisting of pastry crust filled with savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables. The best-known variant is quiche Lorraine, which includes lardons or bacon.
Flan
A dish that can be either sweet or savory.
The menu offered both a vanilla and a vegetable flan.
Quiche
A rich unsweetened custard pie, often containing ingredients such as vegetables, cheese, or seafood.
Flan
A baked dish consisting of an open-topped pastry case with a savoury or sweet filling
An egg and bacon flan
A fluted flan tin
Quiche
A member of a Mayan people of Guatemala.
Flan
A disc of metal such as one from which a coin is made.
Quiche
The Mayan language of the Quiché.
Flan
A custard that is baked in a caramel-lined mold and served chilled with the caramel side up. Also called crème caramel.
Quiche
A pie made primarily of egg and cream, perhaps mixed with chopped meat or vegetables, in a pastry crust.
Flan
A tart with a filling of custard, fruit, or cheese.
Quiche
A member of the Mayan people of south central Guatemala
Flan
A metal disk to be stamped as a coin; a blank.
Quiche
A tart filled with rich unsweetened custard; often contains other ingredients (as cheese or ham or seafood or vegetables)
Flan
Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. Compare quiche.
Quiche
The Mayan language spoken by the Quiche people
Flan
A dessert of congealed custard, often topped with caramel, especially popular in Spanish-speaking countries.
Quiche
A versatile meal suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Quiche is perfect for any meal of the day.
Flan
A coin die. planchet.}}
Flan
Open pastry filled with fruit or custard
Common Curiosities
What is Flan?
Flan is a caramelized custard dish that can be either sweet or savory.
What is the Texture of Quiche?
Quiche has a more solid, often filled texture.
Does Quiche have a Crust?
Yes, quiche usually has a crust made of pie dough or puff pastry.
Is Quiche a French Dish?
Yes, quiche originated in France.
Is Flan a Spanish Dish?
Yes, flan has roots in Spanish cuisine and is popular in Latin America.
Can Quiche be served Cold?
While it's typically served warm, quiche can also be served cold.
Is Quiche a Breakfast Food?
Quiche can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Is Flan Crustless?
Yes, flan is generally a crustless dish.
What is Quiche?
Quiche is a savory pie with a custard filling, often featuring cheese, vegetables, or meats.
What is the Texture of Flan?
Flan has a smoother, gelatinous texture.
How is Quiche Prepared?
Quiche is baked with a custard filling and often includes various fillings like cheese or vegetables.
How is Flan Prepared?
Flan is made by caramelizing sugar and setting a custard, typically chilled before serving.
Is Flan served Cold?
Yes, flan is usually served chilled.
Is Flan a Dessert?
Flan is most commonly served as a dessert but can also be savory.
Can Quiche and Flan be Vegetarian?
Yes, both dishes can be adapted to be vegetarian.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
