Custard

Custard is a smooth, spoonable mixture of milk or cream thickened with eggs and sugar. It ranges from pourable sauces to set, sliceable cups; it thickens gently when heated and sets with a silky wobble. Common uses include baked cups, pourable sauces, and fillings for tarts, cakes, and pastries; it is sold chilled, shelf-stable, or as dry mixes.

Custards developed in medieval European kitchens and became staples of French and English pastry. Variants such as creme anglaise, flan, and pastry cream spread globally through European-influenced cuisines; commercial production often uses pasteurized dairy and sometimes starch thickeners.