Quindim

Quindim is egg yolk, sugar and grated coconut baked into a small, glossy yellow custard that unmolds shiny as glass. The technique of building rich desserts almost entirely from egg yolks and sugar arrived with Portuguese colonial cooking, echoing convent sweets from Portugal, but the coconut and the specific form it took in Brazil turned it into a dessert with its own distinct identity there.

What it really is

A large number of egg yolks — quindim uses far more yolks relative to its size than most custards — whisk together with sugar and grated coconut until fully combined, then pour into small individual moulds, often coated first with sugar syrup that caramelizes against the mould's surface. The custards bake in a water bath, which keeps the heat gentle and even so the yolk-heavy mixture sets smooth rather than curdling, and they chill before being unmoulded, releasing with a glossy, faintly caramelized surface.

The colour comes entirely from egg yolk, not food dye. Quindim's deep, glossy yellow is a direct result of using so many yolks relative to everything else in the recipe — a pale or dull-coloured quindim usually signals fewer yolks than the classic recipe calls for.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, unmoulded onto a small plate.
• As an individual dessert, rarely cut into portions since it's already small.
• Sometimes with grated coconut scattered on top as a garnish.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the egg.
• It's naturally vegetarian.
• Say that it's egg-yolk-heavy if a guest asks, since the ingredient list surprises some people given how mild the finished dessert tastes.