Imagine before you a crisp, light pastry shell brimming with sweet butter-cream filling, graced on top with sparkling fresh fruits. You can't help but become hungry, yet the exquisite dessert is almost too lovely to eat. As you come to your senses you realize that you are not standing in a French patisserie, but rather a bakery in the heart of Taipei, about to enjoy one of Taiwan's most recent popular desserts--the fruit tart.

Fruit tarts and other French pastries first appeared in Taiwan over 20 years ago, but were limited to the restaurants in international hotels. As the standard of living rises in the Republic of China people are able to afford more than basic necessities, and have taken an interest in various new luxuries, large and small--among them, the fruit tart. Light and refreshing, it makes an ideal dessert after a good meal.

The Chinese, like westerners have the habit of eating dessert after a meal. Traditional Chinese desserts are quite different from the cakes, pies and puddings eaten in the west. They include sweet soups, steamed buns filled with sweet bean paste, and sweet glutinous rice topped with dried fruits and sweetened beans. Competing with tradition the fruit tart, previously seen only in western-style restaurants, is now a favorite in Chinese-style restaurants as well.

The sudden popularity of fruit tarts on Taiwan could also be in part due to the growing concern with nutrition. Fruit is often chosen for dessert because of its high vitamin, low calorie nature. While in actuality the fruit which tops a tart masks a cream filling that is higher in calories than most other desserts, no one really seems to mind.

Twenty years ago, knowledge of how to make fruit tarts was limited to the foreign chefs in international hotels. Lu Hsin-hsiung of the Meilissu Bakery notes that a number of cooks who assisted in hotel kitchens eventually decided to start their own businesses. Some met to compare notes on recipes and procedures, while others went abroad to study European culinary arts. Eventually western pastries became universal on Taiwan.

Any newcomer will be surprised by Taiwan's abundance of bakeries. As competition is fierce, the large number of small family bakeries have difficulty competing with larger chain stores. In order to attract customers they will often make special types of eye-catching cakes and tarts.

The Chinese prefer desserts that are not overly rich, and their tarts tend to be lighter than those in Europe and America. The chef at the Four Seasons Restaurant uses margarine to help reduce the fat content of his tart fillings by 12%. I Mei Foods adds cake to its filling to make it lighter.

Choice of fruits is an important factor in making tarts. Fruits are chosen for their color, novelty and low water content. Imported canned fruits are the most common for tarts. This is due in part to the attraction of something novel and foreign. In addition, while fresh fruits tend to contain a large percentage of water which can make the tart soggy within hours, dense processed fruits are less likely to run, and tend to maintain their color and flavor for a longer period of time.

Nevertheless, fresh strawberries are also popular. The outer skin on a strawberry protects it from losing too much moisture. Strawberries are thus able to maintain their freshness and color longer than larger fruits, which must be sliced to be used on a tart. During Taiwan's strawberry season, (from December to April) strawberry tarts are common.

The most crucial factor in the tart-making procedure is artful decoration. The Chinese, who have long emphasized careful cutting techniques and the attractive combining of colors in their cuisine, have applied these same skills in tart making.

Another important consideration is freshness. Many chefs add a layer of cake or chocolate to the surface of their tart shells to prevent them from becoming soggy. A thin transparent glaze is applied to the fruit to maintain color and appearance. Tarts are always refrigerated at 5°-10℃, and must be sold within a day. Careful packaging in plastic and foil boxes, some of which have been prepared with a layer of dry ice at the bottom, is another factor in maintaining freshness.

Women tend to be the most reliable consumers of desserts. Over two thirds of the tart consumers on Taiwan are women. Yen Tse-ling, chef at the Four Seasons Restaurant, often leaves the kitchen to observe customer reactions to his fruit tarts. Yen is delighted to observe that many women may eat several tarts without batting an eye. Perhaps they, too, realize that even the charm of a slender waist is no comparison to the enticement of an exquisite, mouth-watering fruit tart.

(Jill Ardourel)

[Picture Caption]

1,2,3. The arrangement of fruit on top of a tart is a crucial element in its overall appeal, and an important part of the tart-making process. 1. Fresh kiwi fruits are cut into round flat slices to reveal an attractive radiating pattern. 2. Maraschino cherries are usually used as an accent for other fruits. 3. Blueberries and other small round fruits are not sliced, but arranged whole on the tart. 4. A transparent gelatin glaze is brushed onto the fruit to prevent it from losing its freshness and color. 5. A dollop of whipped cream makes for the final touch.

Sweet, luscious fruit tarts are ideal as a light dessert or tea-time snack.

1,2,3. The arrangement of fruit on top of a tart is a crucial element in its overall appeal, and an important part of the tart-making process. 1. Fresh kiwi fruits are cut into round flat slices to reveal an attractive radiating pattern.

2. Maraschino cherries are usually used as an accent for other fruits.

3. Blueberries and other small round fruits are not sliced, but arranged whole on the tart.

4. A transparent gelatin glaze is brushed onto the fruit to prevent it from losing its freshness and color.

5. A dollop of whipped cream makes for the final touch.

Sweet, luscious fruit tarts are ideal as a light dessert or tea-time snack.

Sweet, luscious fruit tarts are ideal as a light dessert or tea-time snack.