Your country's national dessert

Cafe Society
1

A colleague at school today had a brochure from some sort of EU tourism group that promoted culinary tourism I guess. For each EU member it listed a single “national dessert” with a description and recipe. I’ve forgotten what they were, but I think the idea is interesting enough to discuss.

So, if you had to choose a** single** dessert dish to represent the culinary cultural history of your nation what would it be?

Those of you in the US could do one for your state I suppose. I’m interested to see what come out of this. If you have a great recipe please share it for those of us who like to bake/cook.

As for the **USA ** I guess the stereotypical dessert is apple pie, for a variety of cultural reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me.

For **Texas ** (my state) it would be pecan pie, perhaps because of the prevalence of pecan trees in the state, though one could make an argument for **fruit cobbler ** since it seems to be the dessert of choice for BBQ dinners.

2

For Canada, I’d have to go with the Nanaimo bar; for Quebec, tarte au sucre.

3

Pavlova* perhaps? With whipped cream and passionfruit topping?

  • Stolen from the New Zealanders.
4

For my state it would have to be the Key Lime Pie.

5

Matt is tarte au sucre what we’d call a butter tart in English? If not, I’ll say “butter tart” as the Canadian dessert before I’d say Nanaimo bar–sure they’re good, but I think butter tarts are better. :slight_smile:

6

Ohio might be controversial, but the only place I’ve had Hot Apple Pie with a slice of melted, sharp, cheddar cheese, and a scoop of real vanilla ice cream all home made (as in, originating locally) was in Ohio.

7

Not really; it’s more, well, sugary, and less buttery. And it’s a pie, not a tart. Also it never has raisins.

8

For England, it’s probably bread and butter pudding.

9

Sounds tasty–I’ll have to try some next time I’m in Quebec. Thanks for the explanation (and the tip)!

10

Pavlova is a joint Australian-New Zealand dessert, along with Hokey Pokey icecream. The dessert traditions of both countries are so intertwined I don’t think it’s possible to separate them out with any degree of reliability.

I will say there are more tropical fruits involved in dessert platters on this side of the pond, though…

11

I know the former is one of those things claimed by both countries as their own invention, but I’m guessing the latter must be more a Kiwi thing. I’m pretty sure I’ve never even tried hokey pokey icecream, and I’ve only a vague notion of what it is.

12

Foreigners.

Well, that’s more of a breakfast, really.

13

Malva Pudding or Milktart.

14

Here in the southern US, it’s everyone else’s national dessert, except fried and, if possible, on a stick.

15

I’ve always found the prevalence of Black Forest Gateau here as a dessert a trifle bizarre. :smiley: .

16

RISKREM!

riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem…

17

From what I’ve seen of my Dutch friends, Holland’s national dessert seems to be Hagelslaag on anything.

18

Hokey Pokey Icecream? I’d never heard of it until now. Wikipedia fought my ignorance but I’m with TLD here: it must be more of a Kiwi thing.

I’m with you on the Pavlova though.

19

Hokey Pokey ice-cream? WTF is that?

Pavlova or lamingtons.

20

Certainly that’s a good candidate, but I don’t think there can be all that clear a winner. We’d also have to consider things like:

Steamed treacle sponge (or pudding)
Rice pudding
Apple crumble

And of course traditionally:
Jam roly-poly
Spotted dick