World-Famous Pastries Every Student Wants to Try
What can be better than to travel the world when you are young and full of excitement? Only to eat incredible pastries while traveling. Students have a great opportunity to go abroad and study there for one or two semesters or look for the internships there. It should be the time of great discoveries and adventures.
If you decide to see the world while studying, do not miss the chance to taste as many traditional pastries as you can. Not only do they taste good, they also have a long and interesting history. You might be eating a pie baked using the same recipe as people of the 17th and 18th centuries used. Here’s a small list to make you see how many tasty things there are in the world.
The United Kingdom
Banoffee Pie
This beloved dessert is not American as many people think. It is a masterpiece of Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie and was created in Great Britain in 1972. The pie consists of simple and delicious ingredients: bananas, toffee, cream, butter, and biscuits. The invention of this dessert took place in a restaurant called The Hungry Monk. It was open for 44 years and banoffee pie was always on a menu. It is one more proof of the famous saying that genius and simplicity come together. Enjoy a slice of this tasty pastry with a cup of hot English tea when you feel sad. It is a proven medicine for having a good mood and being happy.
Victoria Sponge
What’s not to like about this amazing cake? Sponge, cream, and raspberry jam are the kind of ingredients every sweet tooth would appreciate. As you might know, the cake was named after Queen Victoria and became popular in the 19th century. Although, it most probably did not look as pretty as it does today because the baking powder was invented only in the 1840s. Anyway, it’s a great dessert to enjoy on a sunny afternoon with your friends and family. Besides, it’s easy to make. You can impress someone with your baking skills and acquire the reputation of a master chef.
India
Rasmalai
If you would like your perfect dessert to be not too sweet and rather refreshing, this might be the one. Rasmalai means “nectar cream” in Urdu and tastes amazing. It consists of paneer balls that are soaked in a reduced milk (something similar to clotted cream). If you order it, you will get it chilled and with sprinkles of either cardamon or saffron. Additional toppings include pistachios and almonds. If you ever decide to travel to India or notice an Indian restaurant nearby, try to get a taste of Rasmalai and you won’t regret it.
Gulab Jamun
It’s hard to believe it, but one more popular Indian dessert also comes in the form of balls. The dough for this dessert often includes corn flour. You then form little spherical objects out of it and fry it using ghee (melted butter). The next step is to get the balls soaked in a special syrup that consists of rose water, saffron, and other spicy ingredients. Be careful as this pastry is very-very sweet. If you don’t enjoy sugar that much, go for Rasmalai instead.
China
Mooncake
The Mid-Autumn Festival plays a significant role in the Chinese culture as it is one of the four major festivals. The festival is all about Moon, appreciating and watching it. Mooncakes, the traditional delicacies, represent the Moon, unity, and completeness. Usually, friends and relatives exchange them as presents. Every mooncake has a feeling that may consist of lotus seed paste, red beans, and even salted duck egg yolks. An egg yolk, in this case, symbolizes the full moon, of course.
Tangyuan
This pastry can also be considered to be a traditional festive delicacy. It signifies the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations but you can find it year round as well. It consists of sweet balls made from rice flour which are then boiled and covered in syrup. They may have a filling of red bean, peanut, sesame. If you are in search for some chewy dessert, this is what you are looking for.
France
Croquembouche
First of all, it looks incredible. No wonder that you can try this sweet piece of art mostly on weddings and other special events. If you love profiteroles (and who doesn’t) and want your dessert to take your breath away, you will love croquembouche. It is a triangle pyramid of profiteroles with the decoration of caramelized sugar, chocolate or edible flowers. The history of croquembouche dates back to 1806 when it was mentioned in Alexandre Viard’s culinary encyclopedia.
It is hard to think of another pastry that looks as fancy and elegant as this one.
Macarons
It might be the most popular and trendiest French pastry after croissants, of course. It is interesting that the prototype of the macarons as we know them today was first born in Italy in 1533. Back then, they looked like a rather simple cookie made of almond powder, sugar, and egg whites. they had only one layer. It was until the 20th century that this pastry acquired the second layer and chocolate ganache as a filling between them. Nowadays, you can taste macarons almost anywhere. But only in France can you enjoy that unique atmosphere and experience the real flavor of this elegant pastry.
Austria
Linzer Torte
It is one of the traditional Austrian pies. Its history dates back to the 1600s when people of Linz began to decorate pastries with amazing latticework. The most popular filling is currant jam but you can find a Linz Torte with other berries as well. The pastry is a standard version of shortcrust pastry that includes butter, sugar, and nuts. It is difficult to explain why this pie is so delicious but it is. Do not miss the opportunity to try it if you ever go to Austria. Although, you will be surrounded by the numerous pastry shops that offer the famous Sachertorte, try to taste the Linzer one as well.
Kaiserschmarrn
If you are looking for a real Austrian specialty, this is the one. Kaiserschmarrn is a sweet dish that consists of soft caramelized pancake cut into small pieces during the frying process. It is then served with either fruits, berries, jam, or nuts. The powdered sugar is one of the main ingredients as well. It is said to first be served for the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I.