1. Types of Dessert
Some people will say that life isn’t complete without dessert. And even more will
say a meal isn’t complete without it. Is it a coincidence that “desserts” spelled
backwards is “stressed”? Maybe not but capping dinner with a nice sweet treat
is something that can uplift one’s mood after a long day or a below average
meal.
Sweetness is main common denominator in most desserts consumed worldwide,
but apart from that, there’s hundreds of thousands of variations and hundreds of
categories that fall into this meal course. Usually served after the last savory dish
and before coffee and tea the sweet course ranges from a simple fruit plate to
decadently rich and calorie-laden chocolate confections.
The simplest of desserts actually do not involve any cooking. Sliced apples,
seedless grapes and different berries are offered in temperate countries while in
hot Asian countries tropical fruit like mango, papaya and melon in restaurant
buffets or as an ala carte menu item elaborately cut and served in a hollowed
out watermelon. Pineapple and coconut figure prominently in countries in the
Asia Pacific.
On the other end of colorful spectrum of dessert are baked cakes, pies and
pastries from flaky buttery French pastries to all American apple pie. Special
occasions and holidays are not complete without traditional desserts: Christmas
fruit cake, Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and Chinese New Year sticky rice cakes.
Weddings, whatever the religion is usually ended with the cutting of a cake
shared between the newly married couple together with a glass of
champagne.
Baked desserts include cookies, crumbles, meringues, tarts and soufflés with a
variety of flavors like chocolate, fruit, caramel, spices and a lot more. Custards,
gelatine and puddings are usually cooked then chilled prior to serving. Other
stove top cooking methods include frying (beignets, funnel cakes and Spanish
churros served with an extra thick chocolate dip), boiling (porridges and sweet
soup), steaming (sweet dimsum and other Asian sticky rice pastries), and
poaching (fruits like pears and peaches in red wine). Frozen desserts include ice
creams, sherbet which can be served on its own or combined with other
ingredients like fruits, syrups, nuts and whipped cream.

2. Innovative and exotic restaurants serve unique creations or make a twist to the
otherwise expected dessert. Among these include ice cream tempura,
battered and deep fried chocolate bars and pastries made with durian, a
strongly odorous fruit that one either loves or runs away from. One dessert that’s
gaining a lot of media frenzy is ice cream made with, are you ready for this,
breast milk! These are surely talked about even after the meal.
Raw desserts, apart from fresh fruits, sweetened nuts and seeds, are fast gaining
popularity among the health food community. These low-glycemic, fiber- and
nutrient-rich confections are modifications of cooked goods including
dehydrated cookies and pies, super food parfaits and puddings, sweetened
with honey, coconut or palm sugar.
- http://www.gourmandia.com