''Yema'' is a sweet

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fro ...

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

from the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It is made with egg yolks, milk, and sugar. The name ''yema'' is from

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for "

egg yolk Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

". Like other egg yolk-based Filipino desserts, it is believed that ''yema'' originated from early Spanish construction materials. During the

Spanish colonization of the Philippines Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms arou ...

s mixed with

quicklime Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline, crystalline solid at room temperature. The broadly used term "''lime''" connotes calcium-containing inorganic ma ...

and

eggshell An eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats. Diversity Worm eggs Nematode eggs present a two layered structure: an external vitellin layer made of chitin that confers mechanical ...

s were used as a type of mortar to hold stone walls together. Filipinos reused the discarded egg yolks into various dishes. Among them is ''yema'', which is possibly based on the Spanish pastry ''

Yemas de Santa Teresa Yemas de Santa Teresa (en: Yolks of Saint Teresa) or ''Yemas de Ávila'' (en: Yolks of Ávila) is a pastry that is identified with the Spanish province of Ávila. Its fame has spread across the country and they can be bought throughout Spain b ...

''. Yemas were originally made with only egg yolks and sugar, heated and stirred until the consistency is thick. They are then shaped into small balls or pyramids and covered in white sugar. Milk (or

condensed milk Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of ''sweetened condensed milk'' (SCM), to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condens ...

) later became part of the recipe (probably during the American period). Modern variations also usually include chopped nuts.

References

Philippine desserts {{Philippines-cuisine-stub

See also

References