Natillas

Natillas

A bowl of natillas from Madrid
Place of origin	Spain
Main ingredients	milk and eggs

Natillas (Spanish pronunciation: [naˈtiʎas]) is a term in Spanish for a variety of custards and similar delicacies in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, this term refers to a custard dish made with milk and eggs, similar to other European creams as crème anglaise. In Colombia, the delicacy does not include eggs, and is called natilla.

Natillas is a diminutive of nata ("cream", in English), that is, crema de leche (milk cream), referring to the consistency of the dish.

In Spain, natillas is a custard dish typically made with milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and cinnamon. The dish is prepared by gently boiling the milk and slowly stirring in the eggs (often just the yolks) and other ingredients to create a sweet custard. The differences between Spanish natillas, English custard or French crème anglaise are vague, mainly related to their thickness.

This custard (though is a pouring thin cream and not a coagulated custard) is also similar to flan but is typically richer, makes generous use of cinnamon flavoring, and does not use caramel as flan normally does.

New Mexican natillas are derived directly from the recipes of Spain as a result of the Spanish Conquest and the existing Spanish descendents. Such natillas are custard-like in consistency and may, in some recipes, have flour in addition to egg whites. They are not to be confused with Mexican natillas.

In Colombia, natilla is the most popular Christmas dish and is eaten along with buñuelos and manjar blanco, and it resembles a flan or pudding. Some of the ingredients include milk, panela (blocks of brown sugar), cinnamon sticks, and flour or cornstarch. Occasionally people like to add grated coconut or raisins but these are optional ingredients. To garnish it, powdered cinnamon is spread on top of the finished natilla. Natilla is found all throughout the Christmas season and usually stores sell pre-made natilla; but one of the best known Christmas traditions in Colombia is making natilla in an improvised campfire in the streets or home patios.