NASTAR

Pineapple tart

Pineapple tarts in the shape of rolls open at the ends and filled with jam
Alternative names	Nastar, Tat Nanas, Kueh Tae
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore
Region or state	Southeast Asia
Main ingredients	Pastry (butter, egg yolk, corn starch), pineapple jam

Pineapple tarts or nanas tart refers to small, bite-size pastries filled with or topped with pineapple jam found in different parts of Asia. One form of pineapple tart exists in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. A similar pastry, known as pineapple cake or pineapple pastry, is found in Taiwan.

The pastry consists of a large proportion of butter and egg yolk, besides using corn starch, giving it a rich, buttery, tender and melt-in-the-mouth texture. The pineapple jam is usually made by slowly reducing and caramelizing grated fresh pineapple that has been mixed with sugar and spices - usually cinnamon, star anise and cloves.

Typical shapes include a flat, open tart topped with pineapple jam under a lattice of pastry, rolls filled with jam that are open at the ends and jam-filled spheres.

In Indonesia nastar (Ananas or pineapple tart) is a popular cookies or kue kering during festive occasions of Lebaran and Natal. Considered a "festive cookie", pineapple tarts are usually consumed during the Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali periods in Singapore and Malaysia. However, they are sold all year round by commercial bakeries and by souvenir stores serving tourists.

The Taiwanese version of pineapple tart is known as fènglísū (鳳梨酥). The filling is fully enclosed within a rectangular tart. Generally the taste is sweet due to sugar added. However, many bakers add or even substitute pineapple with winter melon to make the jam less tart as well giving a less fibrous texture to the filling.