Fruit it up! | No summer should be enjoyed without lemon tart

Summer is about to arrive in the northern hemisphere once again. If you come and ask me what my favorite summer dessert is, my answer wouldn’t be anything else but lemon tart.

Unlike a few cakes and pastries, lemon tart (or lemon pie) is definitely not something difficult to be prepared. The ingredients it entails, no matter which version you follow, are as basic as flour, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and lemons. That’s all!

Yet, this has never changed the fact lemon tart always ranks one of people’s most favorite desserts in countries such as the US, UK and France.

The origin of this world-renowned dessert is more or less controversial in the western world. Some believe that lemon tart derives from lemon curd, which was first prepared in England by the Religious Society of Friends (better known as Protestant Quakers) in the 18th century.

Whereas in the US, the first record of lemon pie with a pastry base and custard filling has been dated back to a recipe written by Elizabeth Goodwell, a female cook from Philadelphia, in 1806.

Despite these controversies about its history, lemon tart is getting more well-known and popular around the globe.  

Let’s start making the first lemon tart for this summer, because no summer should be enjoyed without lemon tart!

Writing and video-making by Wang Jingzhong (Yunnan Daily)