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 moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Kunāfah consists of two crunchy layers of shredded and buttered kataifi or knefe dough, filled with a luscious cheese cream that's often flavored with orange zest and cardamom, then drenched in a sugar syrup infused with lemon juice and orange blossom water.
Turkish künefe is traditionally made with Hatay, Urfa, or Antep cheese. It is usually topped with pistachios and is best served warm. Elegant and amazingly simple to make, this dessert is nothing short of what cheese-filled pastry dreams are made of.
MOST ICONIC Kunefe
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Fried bananas or plantains are a common everyday snack eaten throughout Indonesia. They come in numerous versions in which the fruit is simply fried in shallow oil, but more often sliced banana pieces are coated in batter before they are fried until golden.
Besides numerous other varieties, fried bananas also appear under different names such as godoh biu on Bali or gedhang gorèng on Java. They are traditionally sold at street stalls and carts and belong to a group of gorengan dishes—Indonesian deep-fried snacks.
MOST ICONIC Pisang goreng
This traditional Thai rice pudding is a favorite way to finish any Thai meal. The dish is prepared with glutinous rice that is first steamed, then doused in sweetened coconut milk. Lastly, the rice is served sided with slices of fresh mango. This simple dessert is incredibly popular, and it can be found at virtually any eatery in Thailand.
MOST ICONIC Khao niao mamuang
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Egg waffle is a popular Hong Kong delicacy consisting of egg whites and yolks, milk, butter, sugar, flour, and salt. It is characterized by its puffy visual appearance and a pull-apart texture. These tiny treats are traditionally sold throughout Hong Kong by street vendors who prepare them in special pans with small, round cells.
Egg waffles can be consumed plain or paired with fruit and different spreads.
MOST ICONIC Egg waffle
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Kulfi is a traditional ice cream made with slowly simmered whole milk. Although the long-simmering process results in a loss of volume, it makes up for it with a delicious, nutty, caramelized flavor. The ice cream is characterized by its unusual, conical shape, a result of using traditional, special molds with tight-fitting lids.
Kulfi is usually flavored with traditional Indian ingredients such as pistachio, rose water, and saffron, although some cooks prefer to flavor it with fruits such as berries. It is believed that kulfi was invented by the ancient inhabitants of the Himalayas during the Mughal Empire era.
VARIATIONS OF Kulfi
MOST ICONIC Kulfi
View moreHotteok is a popular Korean pancake that is usually filled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and nuts such as peanuts and walnuts. It is commonly sold as street food at numerous Korean street stands, especially when the weather is cold. The pancakes can be either thick or thin, and are characterized by their crispy exterior and tender, chewy interior.
It is believed that hotteok was invented in the late 19th century when Chinese merchants followed their country's soldiers to Korea. Many of them decided to stay in Korea, making Chinese versions of pancakes with savory fillings. However, the Koreans preferred the sweet fillings over the savory ones, and the Chinese then adapted the pancakes according to the Koreans' wishes, thus inventing hotteok.
MOST ICONIC Hotteok
This sweet turnover pancake comes under various names throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. Regardless of the location, it can be prepared either in a thin and crispy variety or as a thick and soft pancake. Traditional fillings typically include a combination of ground or roughly chopped peanuts, sugar, and butter, but the modern varieties may include anything from corn, chocolate chips, and raisins to grated cheese or condensed milk.
Though not much is known about its origin, it is believed that is was first introduced in Penang by the Chinese who migrated from the province of Fujian.
MOST ICONIC Apam balik
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Usually sold by street vendors, this steamed cake is prepared with glutinous rice flour that is flavored and colored with pandan leaves. The mixture is traditionally steamed in bamboo tubes, while the center of the cake is filled with palm sugar.
When steamed, the cake is usually dusted with freshly grated coconut. Kue putu and similar varieties of these convenient green-colored snacks are also found in Malaysia and the Philippines, and some believe that they might have been inspired by puttu—a similar snack of Indian origin.
Odading is a traditional snack originating from Indonesia. It's usually made with a combination of flour, yeast, eggs, salt, and sugar. Once prepared, the dough is left to rise until it's doubled in size, and pieces of the dough are then fried in hot oil until golden brown.
If desired, odading can be sprinkled with sesame seeds on top. This snack sould be tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside if properly prepared. It can be found in school cafeterias or bought from street vendors.
TasteAtlas 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 61 Asian Street Food Sweets” list until March 21, 2025, 5,874 ratings were recorded, of which 2,910 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.