Desserts like gajar ka halwa, jalebi, cakes, cupcakes, pudding, tarts and souffles are widely popular around the world. No matter their origin, many regional sweet delights have transcended borders and are loved by people identifying with various cultures.
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However, there are sugary dishes that are not so popular but worth trying. They are niche desserts that only a limited number of people, especially those who have grown in the region of origin, enjoy. Some of them use unique ingredients, yet they failed to gain popularity. Here are six of them that you should try once.
Dundee Cake
Originating in Dundee, Scotland, the dundee cake is made in bakeries around Christmas. It is a healthier alternative to sugary and cream cakes topped with fondant. Dundee cakes are dry cakes with dry fruits like almonds, walnuts and cashews as toppings. To make this traditional recipe, bakers use sugar, butter, flour, baking powder, orange and lemon zest, milk, eggs, and marmalade. Reportedly, this cake was marketed in British India and India after independence in 1947.
Fruktsoppa
Fruktsoppa is a local dish that is traditionally made in Norway and Sweden. It is fruit soup, often described as a cold fruit pudding, loaded with the goodness of dry fruits. Historically, people in Scandinavian countries used to make this dessert in winter when fresh fruits were not available. Its consumption in the holiday season, especially Christmas, is a trend in many regions even today, and can be served with other desserts like coffee cake.
Kutya
Kutya or kutia is a sweet porridge famous in regions of Eastern Europe. It is a wheat berry pudding with a thick consistency. It is still made in many regions of Ukraine and nearby areas as a winter dish with many variations. A few recipes, like holodna kutya, shchedra kutya, hungry kutya, etc., are so complex that it can take people hours to make them. The ingredients of this dish include poppy seeds, wheat berries, and honey. To enhance its richness quotient, people add walnuts, raisins, and other dry fruits.
Anicini
Anicini is nothing but anise-flavoured biscotti usually prepared in regions of Italy, especially in Liguria and Sardegna. A loaf of flour, orange blossom water, eggs, sugar, and aniseed is baked. It is sliced and baked again until each piece turns crispy. These are served with hot milk, coffee, and other beverages so that people can dunk them and enjoy them.
Yaksik
Yaksik or yakbap is a Korean dessert made with jujubes, chestnuts, and pine nuts mixed with glutinous rice. The seasoning of brown sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil makes this sweet dish unique and lesser-heard of. It is usually a part of festive and wedding spreads, especially during a Korean holiday, Jeongwol Daeboreum, that falls around mid-January every year.
Fortune Cookie
Fortune Cookie has often found references in American TV shows like The Big Bang Theory or The Modern Family. Originating in China, the sugary and crispy wafers are made using sesame seed oil, sugar, flour, and vanilla. It is still found in Chinese restaurants in Canada, Australia, and the USA. They have a message, often English translations of popular Chinese proverbs, jokes, or a vague reference to the future of the person reading it.