Desserts are a food which make the world go round. People sit down to negotiate major decisions over a cup of tea and a biscuit and without that biscuit perhaps the outcome might not be so sweet. I bet if someone had offered around a slice of cake or a packet of biscuits in the houses of parliament the Tory’s wouldn’t have put tuition fees up. It’s a long shot but you never know these days. The British have many wonderful desserts and being the sweet nation we are we have dedicated a whole day to desserts, Pancake Day! But what to do if you don’t like pancakes? Of course you still want to join in on the sweet treat fun so why not try something different. Throughout the world there are hundreds of weird and wonderful traditional desserts to try, these are just a handful.
Apfelstrudel.
Apfelstrudel is a traditional Austrian dish thought to have originated sometime in the 17th century. The strudel dough is a basic dough recipe which requires complex preparation in order to get it to dough which is a similar thickness as filo. The filling consists of cooked apples, cinnamon, sugar, raisins and bread crumbs. Although Apfelstudel is the national dish of Austria the pastry is commonly associated with all countries which were part of the former Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Halva.
Halva is a popular sweet found throughout the Middle East and in a wide range of varieties. The term Halva can refer to either a flour based or a Nut-butter based sweet. The traditional Persian dish is usually made with rose water and is spread thinly on a plate until it dry’s into a paste. It is usually served at funerals and other ceremonies.
Kulich.
Kulich is a type of Easter bread traditional in the Orthodox Christian faith and largely eaten in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Kluich is baked in large cylindrical tins and decorated with white icening and blessed by the priest. Kulich is only eaten between Easter and Pentecost.
Besan Laddu.
A dish with origins in India, Laddu can be made with a variety of different flours to be served at festive or religious occasions. Besan Laddu is made with chickpea flour and combined with sugar before being moulded into a small ball. It is said that Besan Laddu is the favourite sweet of the elephant headed Lord Ganesh.
Sinh to bo.
When most people think of Avocado they think of guacamole, but not in Vietnam. Sinh to bo is a Avocado milkshake commonly served as a dessert. The smoothie is made with condensed milk and is popular through South East Asia.
Clafouti.
Clafouti is a sweet cherry flan originating in the Limousin region of France and is commonly served at breakfast. It consists of Cherries arranged in a dish and coated in a thick flan like batter mix. Traditionally Clafouti is made without pitting the cherries as this is said to enhance the flavour.
Lokshen kugel.
A traditional Jewish dish, Lokshen Kugel translates as noodle pudding. The main ingredient is cooked broad noodles but cheese, rasins, cinnamon, sugar, egg, salt, sour cream and butter can be added. This dish is commonly served on Sabbath days and Jewish holidays
Coca-cola cake.
This just sounds like a student baking experiment which went wrong but it is in fact a well known American dessert. Common in southern United States the cake is usually chocolate in flavour and substitutes the water with coca-cola. This cake is a favourite at birthday parties.
Flan de Leche.
Perhaps more commonly known as Creme Caramel, Flan de Leche, is a caramel custard traditional to Latin America. The dish is thought to have originated in Spain and consists of a custard style dessert with caramel on top, similar to Creme Brulee which has a hard top.
So if you don’t fancy the traditional sweet treat this Pancake Day there is a world of different national desserts out there. All you have to do is look.
