The world is full of delicious desserts and some of them are too good to remain local. It happens that after trying some yummy sweets, pastry, etc. while travelling, people start to produce them in their country when they return home. In this way, many regional desserts have gained global popularity and are well-known almost everywhere in the world. We’ve prepared a list below of top local desserts that have now become amazingly famous. Check them out!
Chocolate
One of the most popular desserts nowadays is definitely chocolate. It originates from the Meso-American culture as there are traces of consuming it by Aztecs, Mayans and other tribes in ancient times. However, it was always consumed in a liquid state back then. The first solid-state chocolate was produced in England in the 19th century. Nowadays, as can be seen on the website of Santa Barbara Chocolate, this product comes in many different shapes, colours and tastes!
Éclair
An éclair is a kind of pasty made in a longitudinal shape with choux dough. It has a cream filling and is covered with chocolate icing. This dessert was invented in France in the 19th century and, at first, it was called ‘petite duchesse’ or ‘pain à la Duchesse’. The name we use today, éclair, translates as ‘a flash of lighting’ from French, and it refers to the fact that it’s eaten fast (in a flash). Usually, it’s filled with vanilla custard, or whipped cream and topped with chocolate or coffee flavoured icing.
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is also known under a different name – ‘Tuscan trifle’. It comes from Siena, a city in the north-western province of Tuscany in Italy. The spectacular taste it provides made it popular worldwide. It’s very different from the heavy American pies – it’s very light, like a tapioca pudding. It’s made of ladies fingers soaked in coffee and layered with a whipped combination of mascarpone cheese flavoured with cocoa, Marsala, eggs and sugar. Interestingly enough, the name tiramisu means ‘cheer me up’ or ‘pick me up’ in Italian.
Churros
Churros, that can now even be bought at American baseball matches and Korean cinemas, originally come from Spain and Portugal. They’re soft dough sticks made from flour, salt and water; although there’s a lesser-known potato dough variant as well. Most commonly, they’re extruded through a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle; however, it’s a moulded curve that can come in a mixture of shapes. They’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside… and are incredibly delicious. To enhance their taste even more, churros are often sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Moreover, they are can be eaten with a dip, like hot chocolate sauce or milky coffee.
Gulab jamun
It’s a milk-solid-based sweet, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It’s commonly eaten in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Maldives and other countries. As well as milk, vegetable oil, raisins and pistachios are used in their preparation. The dough is formed into small balls that will expand when cooked – similarly to doughnuts. Gulab jamun can be served with sweet syrup, as well as saffron, citron juice, rose water or almond pieces. It’s not a dessert that’s meant to be eaten straight away; for it to absorb the syrup more effectively, it should be left to soak overnight. Traditionally, it’s enjoyed at birthday parties, weddings, festivals or significant celebrations such as the Hindu festival of Diwali or the Muslim Eid. Nowadays, it can be easily found in restaurants all over the world.
Pavlova
This meringue-based dessert is named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, however it hails from the Southern Hemisphere. It has a crisp crust and a soft and light inside. What’s more, Pavlova is typically topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, pomegranate and passion fruit. It’s said that this dessert was created to honour Anna Pavlova on one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand. The actual nationality of its inventor has been a source of disagreement between those two nations for a long time.
Cheesecake
Cheesecake can have one or more layers, with the primary one being made of a combination of soft cheese (like ricotta or cream cheese), sugar and eggs. If a bottom layer is added, it’s usually a crust produced from crushed cookies, pastry or graham crackers. This cake comes in both baked and unbaked (usually refrigerated) varieties.
Nowadays, cheesecake has spread widely and takes lots of different forms all around the globe. In fact, it originated in ancient Greece (and later Rome, after the conquest). The earliest known mention of it is in the 5th century BC, in a book on the art of making cheesecakes, written by a Greek physician, Aegimus.
There are even more internationally spread local desserts, and it’s always worth knowing their provenance. This way, we know to which nation we should be thankful for inventing them!
[disclosure*]
