Most destinations have at
least one signature dessert – that one confection that they do so well, you can
taste history in every bite. It’s impossible to list all of the world’s best
desserts, but here is a shortlist of six cities and their famous sweet treats.
Dig in:
Turkish Delight in Istanbul.
Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir was the most famous of all Ottoman
confectioners. He came to İstanbul from the mountain town of Kastamonu in 1777 and opened a shop in the Old City
where he concocted delicious boiled sweets and the translucent jellied
jewels known to Turks as lokum -
and to the rest of the world as Turkish Delight. Today, locals still buy their lokum from branches of the business he
began over two centuries ago.
The flagship store of Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir is located near the Spice
Bazaar. There are also stores on İstiklal Caddesi and in the produce
market at Kadıköy. A more recent family dynasty has been established at
Herşey Aşktan, opposite Pera Palace Hotel. Its delicious Turkish Delight
can be packaged in decorative boxes, creating a perfect gift to take home
to friends and family.
Cheesecake in New York.
Sure, cheesecake, in one form or another, has been baked and eaten
in Europe since the 1400s. But New
Yorkers have appropriated its history in theform of the New York–style
cheesecake. Immortalizedby Lindy’s restaurant in Midtown, (which was opened by
Leo Lindemann in 1921) the version served there — made of cream cheese,
heavy cream, a dash of vanilla and a cookie crust — became
wildly popular in the ’40s. Junior’s, which opened on Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn
in 1929 (and more recently in Midtown) makes its own famous version of the
creamy cake with a graham-cracker crust.
Gelato in Florence.
During Renaissance and 16th-century Florence, two cooks made ice-cream history:
Ruggeri, a chicken farmer who made it to the culinary big time thanks to a
sorbet he made for Catherine Medici; and Bernardo Buontalenti, a well-known
architect who produced a frozen dessert based on zabaglione (a dessert of whipped egg yolks, sugar and sweet
wine) and fruit. Both are considered founding fathers of Italy‘s gelato
culture. You’ll usually be asked if you want panna
(cream) with your ice cream. A good call is si.
Florentines take their gelato seriously. There’s a healthy rivalry among
the local gelaterie artigianale
(makers of handmade gelato), who all strive to create the creamiest,
most flavourful and freshest product in the city. Flavours change
according to what fruit is in season. Three of our favourites are: Gelateria dei
Neri (semifreddo-style; cheaper than its
competitors; wild flavours like gorgonzola); Gelateria
Vivoli (tubs only – eat in the pretty piazza nearby);
and Grom (a newcomer using many organic ingredients).
Gula Melaka in Melaka.
Made from sago, palm sugar and coconut milk, this traditional dessert is
rarely served outside of the home. While gula
melaka refers to palm sugar, it plays such an intrinsic part of
this popular sweet that the dessert is commonly known by that name, although
you may see it called Sago Gula Melaka. You may find it on the menu of a few
Malaysian restaurants, particularly in Melaka, but why not try mastering it
yourself by following this recipe?
Brussels waffles in Ghent.
A sure-fire way to tell natives from tourists is how they order waffles.
Locals never order them consume these sweet snacks with whipped cream,
chocolate or other elaborate toppings (except sometimes fruit). Instead, a
Brussels waffle – a large, light rectangle with 20 ‘squares’, usually
eaten in tearooms and brasseries – is traditionally buttered and sprinkled only
with icing sugar.
Etablissement
Max is an elegant brasserie run by Yves Van Maldeghem
whose entrepreneurial family started out with a mobile waffle stall at a
fair. Yves bakes waffles using his family’s 120-year old waffle irons, and
also makes pancakes and sizzling apple fritters. To bake your own,
pick up Jan Gheysens’ Belgian Waffles and Other Treats here, which contains Yves’ family
recipes.
Pastel de Nata in Lisbon.
With every bite of a Portuguese sweet, you’re consuming a little bit of
history. Portugal‘s sweets industry was crystallised when the Arabs
introduced sugar to the country. In medieval times, enterprising nuns
and monks made – and sold – doces
conventuais (literally, convent sweets). The best known of
these is the pastel de nata, a
creamy, egg-based custard tart. Why the eggs? The story goes that
nuns stiffened their habits with egg whites and, to consume the leftover
yolks, devised special recipes. Since 1837, a patisserie called Antiga
Confeitaria de Belém has been transporting locals to
sugarcoated nirvana with heavenly pastéis
de belém: crisp pastry nests filled with custard cream, baked at
200°C for that perfect golden crust, then lightly dusted with cinnamon.
