Sweet Treats: 6 of the Most Unique Desserts from around the World
Just as different cultures and countries have specific main dishes for which they are famous, iconic desserts also vary based on region. Derived from desservir, a French word meaning “to clear the table,” dessert has been eaten as an after-dinner palate cleanser dating back to the Middle Ages.
Custard, considered one of the earliest desserts, was popular during the 1300s. Apple pies and gingerbread were introduced in later years. With the increase in sugar plantations in the New World during the 17th century, sugar prices went down dramatically. This allowed people to sweeten desserts and come up with creative combinations.
Modern dessert usually involves some type of pastry, fruit, chocolate, and other delectable ingredients. While many popular desserts are common worldwide (cakes, ice cream, etc.), here’s a look at six that are unique to certain countries.
1. Tarta de Santiago (Spain)
Tarta de Santiago is one of the many delicious desserts that have been consumed by Spanish natives for centuries. With roots dating back to the medieval pilgrimage in Galicia during the 15th century, the dish resembles a Spanish almond cake. It features a stencil of the cross of St. James in the center.
It is believed the cake was invented between the 16–18th centuries. During that time, it was largely restricted to the wealthy due to the price of sugar and almonds, its main ingredients. It began to be a fixture in Spanish cookbooks during the 20th century. The cross of St. James was first placed on the cake in 1924 by the founder of the Casa Mora in Santiago de Compostela.
While the cake is unique to Spain, it’s easy to make at home. It involves just a few ingredients: eggs, sugar, almond flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, and icing sugar to dust. Simply whisk cracked eggs with sugar and add the other ingredients until combined before pouring into a cake tin. It takes about 30 minutes to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Thailand)
Rice is a popular food in most parts of the world, especially in Asia, but it’s not typically eaten for dessert. In Thailand, rice is combined with mango, another popular Thai dessert ingredient, to create Thai mango sticky rice. A classic Thai street food, it’s made simply by mixing steamed rice with coconut cream and sugar, which is then paired with ripe sweet mango. It’s often served with a drizzle of coconut cream and sometimes crispy yellow mung beans.
The sweet flavorful dessert, in Thai, is known as khao neow mamuang, which loosely translates to glutinous mango sticky rice. Other popular mango desserts in Thailand include mango coconut pudding and coconut mango tapioca pudding.
3. Nanaimo Bar (Canada)
A three-layer, no-bake dessert named after the British Columbia city in which it was first made, the Nanaimo bar is among Canada’s most popular desserts. The bottom layer is composed of chocolate, coconut, and crushed graham crackers. On top is a layer of yellow custard. The very top layer is creamy and delicious chocolate ganache. According to the Food Network, the first Nanaimo bar recipe was published in 1954. It is believed to have been a popular local dessert for many years prior.
This is another dessert you can easily make on your own, but for the complete and authentic Nanaimo experience consider visiting the Nanaimo Bar Trail. It has 39 locations offering specialty variations as well as Nanaimo bar ice cream, cheesecake, and macarons.
4. Mshabak (Syria)
A popular Syrian street food, usually found in markets during Ramadan, mshabak is an affordable and easy-to-make pastry. It is made from semolina wheat dough and a few other ingredients. The dough is fried in hot oil and usually dipped in syrup made from sugar, water, lemon juice, and orange blossom water. The resulting cake is usually shaped into a spiral. It is also popular in Egypt.
5. Tarte Tatin (France)
France may be one of the best countries in the world for desserts. It is, after all, where the word dessert was first conceived. The European country is known for many sweet treats, including macarons, crêpes, and soufflés. The tarte tatin is another traditional French dessert that may not be well known outside of the country but should be. It’s essentially a baked apple tart laid over caramel and topped with puff pastry. The key to perfecting the recipe is roasting the apples beforehand and slowly preparing the hot caramel.
6. Semifreddo (Italy)
Italy is another European country known for pastry desserts, including tiramisu and cannoli. The semifreddo is a bit of a departure from those examples but equally delicious. Like a French parfait or a no-churn ice cream, the half-frozen lemon dessert was first prepared during the 20th century and is commonly served around Christmas time. The base is composed of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and Greek yogurt and, once prepared, can be topped with a variety of ingredients, usually fruit, nuts, or chocolate.
