You have seen viral videos in which people are mixing two poles apart with different ingredients to create a dish like Fanta-maggie, and it almost creeps you out and makes you want to shout - Why? The world of baking is no different, however, the only difference is a few of these peculiar delights might not look good, but they promise to leave you in a gastronomic heaven.
Video Credit: Your Food Lab/ YouTube
The recipes of these delights feature a few ingredients that seem like they won’t pair well, but the outcome is a dessert that you cannot stop eating. Do you remember how Rachel from F.R.I.E.N.D.S added red meat to an English Trifle? The delights mentioned below are quite similar. These might seem bizarre to you, but they have been picked from cultures around the world. Here are a few that you should know about.
Tavukgöğsü
With its roots connecting it to the Ottoman Empire, historically referred to as the Turkish Empire, this sweet dish is a blend of two different types of chicken - honey and sweet and sour. In most countries, chicken is eaten as an appetizer and main course, there it might sound weird, but Tavukgöğsü is a sweet dish that has chicken as the star ingredient.
It is believed that indigenous dairy farmers once combined boneless chicken and milk pudding. They loved this combination, hence, this delight came into existence. It was served to the Ottoman Royalty as well.
Maple Bacon Doughnut
Bacon for a sweet dish? You must be saying, “No, thank you,” in your head. Chocolate, powdered sugar, and jam are among the common toppings that can be found in any bakery or doughnut shop. There would be hardly any person who would say that they have seen a bacon-flavoured doughnut.
Originating in Nebraska, USA, it is a popular delight enjoyed by many in the States and Canada. Maple bacon doughnut was reportedly created to make a bakery famous, and it worked. In many regions of North America, it is served among other dishes on a breakfast platter.
Also Read: 6 Alternatives Of Sugar For Desserts
Chocolate Crickets
You guessed it right. This dessert does have crawlies indigenous to East Asian countries like Thailand. This dish is prepared with a mixture of crickets and chocolate. This delight is definitely not for people who are averse to eating insects.
Reportedly, Thailand has websites that sell this dessert in flavours other than chocolate. Some have onions, salt vinegar, and other ingredients that might seem bizarre to you. You might not believe it, but it is among the favourite sweet dishes in some households.
Šakotis (Tree Cake)
Though it does not look like a tree, Šakotis is a Lithuanian tree cake with thick protruding branches. Different cultures have different names for this, but it almost looks like a vase made using wax.
The batter contains eggs and other ingredients, and it is poured over a stainless steel rod rotating on a source of heat. After a while, the rotating speed of the rod is increased to create the spikes. This cake has several layers, and it is cut horizontally before serving pieces to guests.
Sultan’s Golden Cake
Created in Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Sultan’s golden cake can cost around Rs 85,000. This hotel once served as the home to the Ottoman Empire, and the dessert screams nothing but luxury.
The recipe for this cake includes soaking expensive fruits like quince, figs, pears, and apricots in a Jamaican rum for at least two years. A professional baker takes at least 72 hours to prepare this cake and add rare ingredients that you might not have even heard of. A 24-carat edible gold leaf is among the garnishes. According to reports, this cake is served in a silver box featuring a gold seal.