# Your country's national dessert **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714 "2007-12-12T05:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neorxnawange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@neorxnawange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neorxnawange)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/1 "2007-12-12T05:46:30Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/2 "2007-12-12T05:49:47Z")
For Canada, I’d have to go with the **Nanaimo bar** ; for Quebec, **tarte au sucre**. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/3 "2007-12-12T05:59:35Z")
**Pavlova** \* perhaps? With whipped cream and passionfruit topping? - Stolen from the New Zealanders. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/4 "2007-12-12T06:08:02Z")
For my state it would have to be the Key Lime Pie. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/5 "2007-12-12T06:08:16Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] For Canada, I’d have to go with the **Nanaimo bar** ; for Quebec, **tarte au sucre**. [/QUOTE] **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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/6 "2007-12-12T06:14:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/7 "2007-12-12T07:36:59Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] **Matt** is _tarte au sucre_ what we’d call a butter tart in English? [/QUOTE] Not really; it’s more, well, sugary, and less buttery. And it’s a pie, not a tart. Also it never has raisins. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/8 "2007-12-12T07:38:11Z")
For England, it’s probably bread and butter pudding. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/9 "2007-12-12T07:48:48Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] Not really; it’s more, well, sugary, and less buttery. And it’s a pie, not a tart. Also it never has raisins. [/QUOTE] Sounds tasty–I’ll have to try some next time I’m in Quebec. Thanks for the explanation (and the tip)! ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/10 "2007-12-12T07:53:06Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/11 "2007-12-12T09:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] Pavlova is a joint Australian-New Zealand dessert, along with Hokey Pokey icecream. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/12 "2007-12-12T09:30:59Z")
Foreigners. Well, that’s more of a breakfast, really. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/13 "2007-12-12T09:32:32Z")
[Malva Pudding](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malva_Pudding) or Milktart. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/14 "2007-12-12T09:58:09Z")
Here in the southern US, it’s everyone else’s national dessert, except fried and, if possible, on a stick. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/15 "2007-12-12T10:01:29Z")
I’ve always found the prevalence of Black Forest Gateau here as a dessert a trifle bizarre. 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/16 "2007-12-12T10:01:39Z")
RISKREM! riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem riskrem… ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/17 "2007-12-12T10:12:12Z")
From what I’ve seen of my Dutch friends, Holland’s national dessert seems to be _Hagelslaag_ on anything. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/18 "2007-12-12T10:22:56Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] 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… [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/19 "2007-12-12T10:30:12Z")
Hokey Pokey ice-cream? WTF is that? Pavlova or lamingtons. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714/20 "2007-12-12T10:38:00Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] For England, it’s probably bread and butter pudding. [/QUOTE] 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 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-countrys-national-dessert/429714.md?page=2)