Eton Mess, so called because since the mid-19th century it's been traditionally served at an annual cricket match between Eton College and Winchester College.
It's basically coarsely crumbled meringue, chopped strawberries and strawberry purée mixed into whipped cream, and is delicious, especially if accompanied by a glass or two of a good Riesling, or perhaps a Strawberry Bellini. No good if you're on a diet though!
India:
Puran Poli:
Puran poli is a classical Marathi dish, which is a dessert served during auspicious occasions and during important festivals such as Holi, Padwa in Maharashtra. Although it resembles like a roti, a poli is actually very different. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit. The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli. The puran is made by boiling chickpea lentils with a pinch of turmeric for color. When the lentils are cooked and soft, the broth is removed and kept aside.Sugar is added to the chickpeas and cooked till they are soft. Then the stuffing is removed and sieved through a utensil made specifically for puran to achieve a smoother consistency. Saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg is added for additional flavor. The outer cover is made by making a dough by mixing refined flour, milk and ghee. Equal number of balls are made of the dough as well as the stuffing. The puran is stuffed inside the dough and then rolled out flat using a rolling pin. The poli is then coked on a hot griddle and served with ghee and a soup made from the surp.
Shrikhand
Shrikhand is a Marathi Dish, usually eaten as a main course with Puris. To prepare shrikhand, yogurt is tied in a cotton cloth and left under pressure to drain. In the past, it used to be hung from a wall to achieve the desired thickness. The strained yogurt, refereed as "Chakka" and sugar are mixed thoroughly in a deep bowl. Cardamom, saffron, and any other flavors are then added and mixed. It is then left in the refrigerator for the sugar to dissolve. The dish is served chilled.
These 2 are the main Marathi specialities...
Puran Poli:
Puran poli is a classical Marathi dish, which is a dessert served during auspicious occasions and during important festivals such as Holi, Padwa in Maharashtra. Although it resembles like a roti, a poli is actually very different. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit. The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli. The puran is made by boiling chickpea lentils with a pinch of turmeric for color. When the lentils are cooked and soft, the broth is removed and kept aside.Sugar is added to the chickpeas and cooked till they are soft. Then the stuffing is removed and sieved through a utensil made specifically for puran to achieve a smoother consistency. Saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg is added for additional flavor. The outer cover is made by making a dough by mixing refined flour, milk and ghee. Equal number of balls are made of the dough as well as the stuffing. The puran is stuffed inside the dough and then rolled out flat using a rolling pin. The poli is then coked on a hot griddle and served with ghee and a soup made from the surp.
Shrikhand
Shrikhand is a Marathi Dish, usually eaten as a main course with Puris. To prepare shrikhand, yogurt is tied in a cotton cloth and left under pressure to drain. In the past, it used to be hung from a wall to achieve the desired thickness. The strained yogurt, refereed as "Chakka" and sugar are mixed thoroughly in a deep bowl. Cardamom, saffron, and any other flavors are then added and mixed. It is then left in the refrigerator for the sugar to dissolve. The dish is served chilled.
These 2 are the main Marathi specialities...
A very popular dessert in my part of the US is Key Lime Pie. It's made with the juice of Key Limes, much tarter than Persian Limes, condensed milk, butter, and sugar, in a graham cracker crust. There are, of course many recipe variations.
Personally, I detest it. The flavor is fine, but the texture, for me, is off-putting. It's too close to cheesecake, something I abhor.
Personally, I detest it. The flavor is fine, but the texture, for me, is off-putting. It's too close to cheesecake, something I abhor.
Singapore is a melting pot of the region's cultures, so these two of my favorite desserts may have disputed origins, but I think of them as very Singaporean. Nothing fancy, widely available, and very affordable in Singapore.
This is ice kacang, a dessert of shaved ice with at least three different colored syrups poured on it, and underneath the icy goodness, is an assortment of delights like canned corn, azuki beans, attap chee (palm seeds), grass jelly, agar agarcubes. This dessert is also served with a drizzle of evaporated milk.
This is tao suan, a dessert served warm/hot, made of split mung beans, served with fried dough fritters on top. It is sweet and has a gooey texture. The dough fritters are best eaten last, after they absorb the delicious moisture from the tao suan and become soft and chewy.
