Watch this space and our Facebook Page for updates as we will be doing something special for Milktart day right here at Tolbos. On 27 February South Africans celebrate National Milk Tart Day. Milk Tart (melktert) is a classical South African dish. Traditional Milk Tart is made up of a shortbread crust with a filling of milk and lots of eggs resulting in a lighter texture. Milk Tart can be enjoyed hot or cold. Milk tart (melktert) is thought to have originated in the latter half of the 17th century by Dutch settlers in South Africa. The Dutch East India Company established Cape Town in 1652 as a way-station for ships travelling from the Netherlands to Indonesia and back. Their ships would bring cinnamon and other spices to Cape Town (and Europe) from South East Asia. Local bakers used the imported cinnamon, combined with fresh dairy from farms in the Cape Colony, to create this wonderful custard based tart.