Tasting 3 Of The World’s Favorite Desserts

     Blame it on your grandmother’s amazing baking skills, those wonderful celebration & holiday treats, or flat-out genetic preferences, all dessert is deeply personal and engraved into our hearts. Still, there’s a great wide world full of tastes that have never come close to your tongue. Ignorance may be bliss, but there will always be a part of your personal dessert history that will make you wonder “What if?”. Yes, some of your past choices will always be with you, but as you try new flavors in new places, some of those older “favorites” will make you realize they really weren’t that special after all. To phrase this another way, there are a ton, a plethora, a variety, of new desserts that you are just waiting to try. The problem is… you don’t know what (and where) they are. Therefore, we wanted to take you on an incredibly quick trip around the world in which you can “sample” some of the desserts you would have otherwise never been introduced.

Alfajores, South America

To be fair, it’s very possible that you’ve seen these cookies before – they’re found all over South America, from Argentina to Peru. The ends are made of crumbly shortbread cookies that hold a delectable layer of dulce de leche – a similar type of caramel candy made by simmering sweetened milk. Additional versions are available as these cookies are highly customizable. They may be covered in dark chocolate, drizzled with white, rolled in a variety of nuts (including coconut), or simply elevated through the use of spices.

Borma, Middle East & Turkey

If you’ve had baklava before, then you should roughly understand the flavor profile of the Borma. These treats are produced by rolling threads of golden knafeh – a type of pasty dough – around a sweet, nutty pistachio, pine nut, or walnut center. However, unlike baklava, these are deep-fried leading to a nice crispy bite. Bakery owners surely tempt tourists and locals alike as they pile these tasty deep-fried sticks high in store windows. 

Gulab Jamun, India

Having been lucky enough to sample a few of these from an Indian bakery here in my hometown, I can assure that these gulab jamun are absolutely delicious (and relatively light!). Each of these balls starts as a scoop of khoya – a reduced cow or buffalo milk mixture that is simmered for hours over a very light flame. Then, this melting substance is fried in ghee – clarified butter. This frying adds additional flavor to the “milk” before it is soaked in aromatic syrup. Roses and cardamom seeds often flavor this sweet treat. 

The opportunities to try these treats are relatively easy to come by. To be honest, the next time you’re in a culturally-rich neighborhood, just stop by the bakery! You’ll obviously enjoy looking at all the new foods and treats but being able to sample something new is the absolute best.