As a result of the preparation method, kichel cookies are light and airy, which earned them the nickname of nothings. The ingredient list is short and simple; eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, and sometimes baking powder. Although sweet, they are often eaten with savory dips or with chopped herring in South Africa.
MOST ICONIC Kichel
This traditional Norwegian spread is either a type of sweet, brownish-colored cheese or a type of porridge made with milk and oats or rice. The consistency of the dish can be thin or thick. Additionally, raisins and cinnamon can be added. It is commonly enjoyed as a dessert, spread on bread, milk cakes, waffles, or lefse - a type of Norwegian flatbread made with potatoes, flour, butter, and cream.
Tirggel are traditional Swiss Christmas cookies made with flour, honey, and sugar. They are thin and very hard, characterized by images on the top which are usually associated with the Zürich Canton, romance, and Biblical stories. It is believed that the name tirggel is derived from the word torggeln, which refers to stirring a thick dough.
The first written mention of tirggel can be found in 1461 witch trial court documents. The cookies were a luxury item in the 15th and 16th centuries, and before 1840, only city bakers had the rights to bake them. After 1840, all bakers could bake them, and they gained popularity over the years, so nowadays everyone can enjoy these crunchy festive treats.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Gelatin dessert is a sweet food that's made using gelatin, a protein obtained from animal collagen.
This protein has the ability to gel or solidify liquids, making it a popular ingredient in various desserts. The use of gelatin dates back to ancient times. As early as the 1400s, gelatin was extracted from animal bones and used in various culinary applications in Europe.
VARIATIONS OF Gelatin dessert
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cantonese mooncakes are a type of traditional Chinese pastry that is notably enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a significant festival in many Asian countries. These mooncakes are distinctive with their tender, thin, and slightly browned crust and are usually filled with sweet, dense fillings.
The most common filling in Cantonese mooncakes is lotus seed paste, which is smooth and sweet, and usually contains salted egg yolks, representing the full moon and offering a savory contrast to the sweet filling. Another distinctive feature is their appearance: the top of the mooncake is typically embossed with Chinese characters indicating the type of filling, the name of the bakery, and additional decorative motifs.
Yeot is a group of South Korean confectionery made with steamed glutinous rice, sweet potatoes, and corn. There is a big variety of yeot candies such as hobakyeot (made with pumpkin), kkaeyeot (rolled in sesame seeds), and boriyeot (made with barley).
These traditional products can be produced either in liquid or solid form. Solid yeot is commonly consumed as a snack, while liquid yeot is often used as a replacement for sugar in a variety of sweet dishes.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Uirō is a sweet Japanese cake consisting of sugar, rice flour, and water. The cake is traditionally steamed until it develops a chewy texture. It dates back to the 16th century, when it was used as a part of Japanese tea ceremonies, a tradition that is also practiced today.
There are a number of variations on the cake, so it can be flavored with ingredients such as matcha, chestnuts, strawberries, or azuki bean paste. Although it's made from the same ingredients as mochi, the method of preparation is different - uirō is poured into a mold and steamed, while mochi is pounded in order to become sticky.
This New Zealander confectionery product known as Pineapple Lumps is made by covering a soft and chewy pineapple center with a chocolate coating. The sweet treats were first made in the 1950s by Charles Diver, a confectionery chef at the Regina Confectionery Company.
Although they were first called Pineapple Chunks, the name changed in the 1960s to Pineapple Lumps in order to be more recognizable.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Ducana is a dessert dish that is popular on the Caribbean islands of Antigua, Montserrat and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The dish is a type of dumpling made with coconut and sweet potatoes, often cooked in banana leaves. It is usually served with stewed or salted fish, and is a common staple food for many locals that enjoy the contrast of sweet and savory flavors.
Some say that the sweet potato is best used in the preparation of ducana, as the islands are brimming with sweet potatoes that were cultivated by the Arawak Indians a long time ago. Ducana can also be consumed cold, or thinly sliced and lightly fried as a snack.
MOST ICONIC Ducana
In its original form, guilinggao was a herbal paste that consisted of the powdered plastron (bottom shell of Golden coin turtle) and a variety of flowers, herbs, spices, roots, and tree barks. Although it was initially used as a health remedy, modern variations are mainly enjoyed as a well-chilled, refreshing jelly dessert.
Since the Golden coin turtle is critically endangered, the original paste is nowadays rarely found and usually comes with a hefty price tag. Many producers opt to use other turtle species, and guilinggao nowadays usually appears as a canned version, or as a powder mix that is easily made into jelly.
MOST ICONIC Guilinggao
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 “100 Worst Rated Desserts in the World” list until March 26, 2025, 134,961 ratings were recorded, of which 88,605 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.