Tarte Citron et Tarte Citron Meringue

Few desserts capture the essence of French pâtisserie quite like the tarte au citron. Elegant, tangy, and perfectly balanced, this classic pairs crisp, buttery pâte sucrée with a silky lemon cream that dances between sweet and tart. And then there’s its show-stopping cousin — the tarte au citron meringuée — with peaks of golden, fluffy meringue adding drama and sweetness to every bite. In this episode of Fabulously Delicious, we dive deep into the world of these beloved tarts, exploring what makes them so irresistible and why they’ve stood the test of time in French cuisine.

We’ll journey through the history of the lemon tart, from its early beginnings in English kitchens and Italian palaces to the refinements of French pastry chefs in the 18th and 19th centuries. Along the way, we uncover how lemons made their way to France, the role of Mediterranean citrus-growing regions like Menton, and how this sunny fruit became a staple in French gastronomy. We’ll also look at the origins of meringue and how it became the perfect match for lemon’s sharp brightness.

Of course, this episode isn’t just about history — it’s about flavour. We’ll break down the essential ingredients that make the perfect tart, from the butter-rich pastry to the smooth lemon curd and the choice between Italian and French meringue. And we’ll explore how different versions of the lemon tart have evolved around the world, each with their own unique twists, from British simplicity to Italian citrus elegance.

Whether you’re a lifelong lover of tarte au citron, a fan of lemon meringue pie, or simply curious about the stories behind France’s sweetest creations, this episode will leave you craving something delicious and a little bit zesty. So, pour yourself a cup of coffee — or perhaps a glass of Champagne — and join me, Andrew Prior, as we celebrate one of France’s most fabulously delicious desserts.

Transcript

Bonjour et bienvenue! This is Fabulously Delicious, The French Food Podcast — the show that’s your ticket to all things French cuisine. From the buttery croissants of Paris to the finest cheeses in Burgundy, we explore the food culture that has shaped modern gastronomy and continues to inspire taste buds worldwide.

French cooking isn’t just about recipes; it’s about passion, history, and the art of savoring life one bite at a time. On this podcast, we dive into the stories behind iconic dishes, discover hidden culinary gems, and meet the incredible people — chefs, artisans, and home cooks — who bring these flavors to life.

I’m your host, Andrew Prior, enchanté! Once a contestant on MasterChef Australia, I now call France home. Here, I spend my days cooking, tasting, exploring, and celebrating the extraordinary food, wine, and traditions of this beautiful country. And I can’t wait to share all of it with you, my fabulously delicious audience!

In today’s episode, we’re turning our attention to one of the brightest and most beloved stars of the French pâtisserie world — the tarte au citron, that perfect balance of buttery pastry and silky, tangy lemon cream, and its elegant cousin, the tarte au citron meringuée, topped with clouds of golden, sweet meringue. We’ll explore their origins, how they conquered dessert tables from Paris to Provence, and why these sunny tarts continue to charm pastry lovers around the world.

So grab a glass of wine (if you’re not driving, of course), tear off a chunk of baguette, add a smear of creamy Camembert, maybe some delicious saucisson, and get ready to indulge in another mouthwatering journey.

Welcome to Fabulously Delicious!

In French, the name for a lemon tart is tarte au citron (pronounced tart oh see-tron), which translates literally as “tart with lemon.” The meringue-topped version is called tarte au citron meringuée (pronounced tart oh see-tron meh-rang-gay), with meringuée meaning “meringued” or “topped with meringue.” In written form, both names follow standard French spelling rules, with no capitalisation unless they appear at the start of a sentence. While English speakers often refer to both versions simply as “lemon tart” or “lemon meringue pie,” French makes a clear distinction between the classic, unadorned citrus tart and its more decorative, meringue-crowned counterpart.

A tarte au citron—or lemon tart—is one of the great classics of French pâtisserie. Elegant in its simplicity, it consists of a crisp, buttery pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry) filled with a silky-smooth lemon cream, also known as lemon curd. This cream is made by gently cooking a mixture of eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until it thickens into a custard-like filling. Unlike many fruit tarts, a traditional tarte au citron contains no whole fruit—its flavour and character come entirely from the bright acidity of lemon, balanced by the richness of butter and the sweetness of sugar. The result is a dessert that is at once tangy, fresh, and luxurious, beloved both in casual family kitchens and in the gleaming display cases of Parisian pâtisseries.

While the pure version is served unadorned, many pâtissiers also create a tarte au citron meringuée—a lemon tart crowned with a cloud of golden-tipped meringue. This variation marries three textures: the crisp pastry base, the creamy citrus filling, and the airy sweetness of meringue, creating a striking visual and flavour contrast. The origins of this style can be traced to centuries-old European experiments with meringue-topped fruit desserts, but in France it became especially popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, whether plain or meringue-topped, tarte au citron is found everywhere—from corner bakeries to Michelin-starred dining rooms—and remains a shining example of how French pastry can transform just a few simple ingredients into something utterly unforgettable.

The English have a long history with lemon-based desserts, and their influence on the tarte au citron is significant. In the 18th century, British cooks developed lemon curd—a tangy-sweet mixture of eggs, sugar, and lemon juice—which quickly became a favourite filling for pastries and tarts. Initially, lemon curd was quite different from the silky version we know today; it was made by using lemon juice to separate curds from cream, resulting in something more akin to “fruit cheese.” Over time, techniques evolved, and the custard-like curd familiar to modern bakers emerged. Lemon tarts became popular across Britain, particularly among the upper classes, as citrus fruits were still considered a luxury. This tradition of pairing buttery pastry with a zesty lemon filling would eventually inspire continental interpretations, laying the groundwork for the French tarte au citron.

The Italian connection lies not so much in the lemon filling, but in the airy crown of meringue that would later grace many lemon tarts. Meringue is widely attributed to Gasparini, an Italian-born chef said to have invented it in the Swiss town of Meiringen in the early 18th century. Italy already had a rich tradition of using lemon in refined desserts, particularly in the courts of noble families like the Medicis, who favoured citrus as a symbol of wealth and sophistication. By the time meringue made its way across Europe, pastry chefs began experimenting with it as a decorative and textural element. When this light, cloud-like confection was paired with tangy lemon cream in a pastry shell, it created the basis for what would later become the lemon meringue pie—a dessert that, while perfected in other countries, owes part of its identity to Italian culinary artistry.

In France, the lemon tart took on its most elegant and refined form in the 18th and 19th centuries. French pastry chefs perfected the balance between the crisp pâte sucrée and the smooth, intensely flavoured lemon curd, creating the minimalist yet luxurious dessert we now recognise as the tarte au citron. Contrary to modern expectations, the classic French version did not originally include meringue; this was considered an optional embellishment rather than a defining feature. Nevertheless, meringue-topped versions began appearing in French pâtisseries in the 19th century, catering to customers who enjoyed the dramatic contrast of textures and the visual flourish. By the late 19th century, tarte au citron, both plain and meringuée, had become a staple in Parisian tea rooms and fine restaurants, solidifying its place as an enduring icon of French pastry culture.

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A classic tarte au citron is a masterclass in how just a handful of high-quality ingredients can create something extraordinary. At its base is the pâte sucrée, a sweet shortcrust pastry made with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. The butter is key—French bakers often insist on using high-fat, high-quality butter for its rich flavour and tender texture. This pastry provides a crisp, delicate shell that contrasts beautifully with the smooth lemon filling. The heart of the tart is the lemon cream, or crème au citron, made from fresh lemon juice, finely grated lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter. The juice and zest deliver the tart, aromatic punch, while the eggs thicken the mixture and the butter gives it a velvety, melt-in-the-mouth quality.

When the tart is transformed into a tarte au citron meringuée, an extra layer of indulgence is added with the meringue topping. This is typically made from egg whites and sugar, whipped until they form glossy, firm peaks. French bakers may use either French meringue (raw egg whites beaten with sugar) for a softer, lighter texture, or Italian meringue (egg whites whipped with hot sugar syrup) for a more stable, marshmallow-like finish. The meringue is then piped or spooned over the lemon filling and lightly browned, either in the oven or with a blowtorch, to create golden peaks that add both visual drama and a sweet counterpoint to the lemon’s sharp acidity. Together, these ingredients form a dessert that’s all about balance—richness against freshness, crunch against creaminess, and sweetness against tang.

Lemons have a history stretching back over 4,000 years, with their origins traced to the foothills of Northeast India. From there, they travelled westward through Persia (modern-day Iran) before Arab traders introduced them to the Mediterranean. By the 2nd century AD, lemons were known in the Roman Empire, though they remained a rare luxury for centuries. The fruit’s spread across Europe accelerated during the Islamic Golden Age, particularly through cultivation in Al-Andalus—the Muslim-controlled Iberian Peninsula—between the 8th and 15th centuries. This journey also explains the dual linguistic roots of the word “lemon” in European languages: the Latin-derived citron and the Arabic limun.

France’s relationship with lemons was initially one of exclusivity. In the Middle Ages, lemons were an expensive import, prized for their medicinal and decorative qualities as much as their flavour. They were used sparingly in courtly kitchens and apothecaries, often appearing in preserved form or as part of elaborate feasts. Coastal regions in the south, particularly along the French Riviera, eventually began cultivating lemons in small quantities thanks to their mild climate. By the 17th and 18th centuries, lemons were more accessible to wealthy households and chefs, inspiring a growing number of citrus-based recipes in French cookbooks. Still, for much of history, lemons remained a sign of refinement and exoticism on the French table.

One of the most famous French lemon-growing regions today is Menton, near the Italian border, where the microclimate allows year-round cultivation of sweet, fragrant lemons. Menton’s lemons are celebrated for their thick skin, low acidity, and perfumed aroma, and have even inspired the town’s annual Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival), held since 1934. Lemons also became vital in French pâtisserie, their bright acidity balancing the richness of butter and sugar in desserts like tarte au citron. Over time, the once-exotic fruit evolved from a rare luxury into an everyday kitchen staple, yet it still retains its association with freshness, elegance, and a touch of the Mediterranean sun.

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Around the world, variations of the lemon tart reflect both local tastes and culinary traditions. In the United Kingdom, the lemon tart often stays true to its roots with a buttery shortcrust and a tangy lemon curd, sometimes dusted simply with icing sugar for a minimalist finish. Across the Atlantic in the United States, the most famous relative is the lemon meringue pie, which typically has a softer crust, a slightly sweeter filling, and a generous layer of fluffy meringue browned to perfection. In Australia and New Zealand, lemon tarts can take on a rustic feel, with bakers using more intense lemon varieties like Eureka or Lisbon and often serving the tart chilled for a refreshing summer dessert.

In Italy, lemon tarts may be enriched with local citrus varieties, particularly Amalfi lemons or Sicilian lemons, renowned for their fragrant oils and balanced acidity. Italian versions sometimes feature a thinner pastry base and a slightly lighter filling, making them ideal for warm-weather dining. In North Africa and the Middle East—regions with long histories of lemon cultivation—similar tarts may be infused with floral notes like orange blossom water, cardamom, or saffron. Even in Japan, pâtisseries reinterpret the tarte au citron with a meticulous presentation and subtle sweetness to suit local palates. Despite these differences, the core appeal remains the same across cultures: a marriage of crisp pastry, vibrant citrus, and creamy richness that transcends borders.

French writer Jean Giono, known for his love of Provence and nature:

“Le parfum du citron est une promesse d’été et de soleil.”

(The scent of lemon is a promise of summer and sunshine.)

— A beautiful reflection on how lemons evoke warmth and happiness in French culture

And that’s a wrap for this zesty episode of Fabulously Delicious!

Did you learn something new about the humble lemon tart or maybe get inspired to try your hand at making a tarte au citron or its fluffy meringue-topped cousin? I’d love to hear your thoughts—whether it’s a fun fact, a favorite lemon dessert, or simply your love for all things French food. Slide into my DMs on Instagram at @andrewpriorfabulously, or drop me a line at contact@andrewpriorfabulously.com. Let’s chat about lemons, tarts, or any delicious topic that tickles your taste buds!

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Merci beaucoup, and as always, bon appétit! Until next time, au revoir!