Pastel de Belém is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart and a predecessor to the famous pastel de nata. The tarts are made with a pastry shell that's filled with a combination of milk, eggs, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon. The first recipe for pastel de Belém dates back to 1837 when it was produced by the monks of the Jerónimos monastery.
Only the custard tarts produced at the Fábrica Pastéis de Belém can be called pastel de Belém, while all the others, produced by other patisseries in Lisbon are called pastel de nata. Regardless of the name, these tarts can be served hot or cold and in 2009, The Guardian listed pastel de Belém as one of the 50 'best things to eat' in the world.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Turkish ice cream is believed to originate from the city of Maraş—hence the name—and what really sets it apart from other varieties is its resistance to melting and a particularly dense, chewy texture. These qualities are brought by adding two thickening agents to the basic milk and sugar mixture: Arab gum, also known as mastic resin, and salep—a type of flour made from the root of the early purple orchid.
In fact, in the Kahramanmaraş region, ice cream typically contains distinctly more salep than usual, which is why it is sometimes called kesme dondurma—from the Turkish kesmek, meaning to cut—which is the reason why this ice cream variety is usually eaten with a knife and fork.
MOST ICONIC Dondurma
View morePastel de nata is a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart that is popular throughout the world. It is believed that for the best result, the filling should not be too sweet and should not have flavors of lemon nor vanilla. Instead, the tarts should be sprinkled with cinnamon and, ideally, paired with a cup of coffee.
Originally, this treat was made before the 18th century by Catholic monks and nuns in Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon. The tart was made from leftover egg yolks that were used in the clearing of wines and starching of clothes. Later on, the clerics made a deal with a nearby bakery to start selling pastel de nata commercially, and the product was a huge success.
VARIATIONS OF Pastel de nata
MOST ICONIC Pastel de nata
View moreThis creamy pudding is one of Puerto Rico’s specialties, made by cooking coconut milk with cornstarch and sugar, then topping the concoction with cinnamon. The end result is a slightly firm pudding with a smooth custard-like texture, and it is typically served cold.
The name tembleque means wiggly, referring to a slight wiggle when the pudding is shaken. This rich dessert can also be flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, or rum, if desired. It is especially popular at birthday parties and similar festive occasions.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Clotted cream ice cream is a traditional British ice cream that’s associated with Cornwall, although it’s sold in supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom. This ice cream is made with Cornish whole milk, eggs, and clotted cream. The use of Cornish clotted cream gives the ice cream a unique flavor and a velvety consistency.
This decadent ice cream can be flavored with various additional ingredients such as vanilla, and it can be found in many bars and cafes across the region. It is also not uncustomary to add a dollop of clotted cream on top of the scoops of Cornish ice cream.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Makroud el louse are flourless Algerian cookies consisting of almonds, eggs, sugar, and a flavoring of orange flower water. Baked until lightly browned, these cookies are typically tossed in powdered sugar in order to be completely coated. Once consumed, makroud el louse should melt in the mouth.
It is recommended to serve these cookies with a cup of tea or coffee on the side.
Tespishte is a simple Kosovar dessert made by boiling oil with milk or water and then combining the concoction with flour, eggs, and baking powder to form a dough. The pastry mixture can optionally be enhanced with finely chopped or ground walnuts, almonds, or pistachios, while some versions use sesame seeds or even desiccated coconut.
The dough is then stretched out into a greased baking tray and cut into rhomboid-shaped slices before baking. Its top may be decorated if desired, and once baked, the warm dessert is finished with a lukewarm sugar syrup flavored with vanilla sugar and lemon.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Even though tiramisù is actually a fairly recent invention, this dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream enjoys an iconic status among Italian desserts. Its name stems from the phrase tirami sù, an Italian expression which literally means pick me up, a reference to the uplifting effects of sugar, liquor, and coffee.
The origins of tiramisù are heavily disputed between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, but it is often suggested that the first was made in Veneto in the early 1960s. The earliest documented recipe for tiramisù (interestingly, without alcohol!) was printed in the 1981 spring edition of Vin Veneto magazine in an article on coffee-based desserts by Giuseppe Maffioli, a renowned food critic and member of the Italian Academy of Cuisine.
MOST ICONIC Tiramisù
View moreThese thin pancakes are made with wheat flour, and have origins in the French region of Brittany. Although they are a French staple and a national dish, crêpes are so popular that they have spread worldwide since the turn of the 20th century, when white wheat flour became affordable.
These delectable treats are made with flour, eggs, milk, and butter whipped into a thin batter, which is then poured in a crêpe pan and fried. The tradition is to flip them in the air as they cook, and they say that if you catch it in the pan, your family will be well-off for the rest of the year.
VARIATIONS OF Crêpes
MOST ICONIC Crêpes
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
This traditional egg custard dessert consists of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla, with a hard, burnt, toffee crust. The combination is cooked, transferred into ramekins, poached in a bain-marie, then well chilled. The chilled custard is typically set in wide, flat dishes, and is then topped with brown sugar which is either caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch.
The origins of the dish are quite unclear, and England, Spain, and France all claim to have invented it. However, most food historians agree that custards were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, and recipes for custards circulated throughout Europe for centuries.
MOST ICONIC Crème brûlée
View moreTasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Desserts in the World” list until December 15, 2024, 127,750 ratings were recorded, of which 83,079 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.