What is common between a blueberry pie, a chocolate chip cookie, or a triple-decker chocolate pastry? Well, for some, these are utter bliss in the form of desserts, whereas for some health-conscious individuals, these are a strict no-no to their diet. While some people believe that desserts, like ice cream or chocolates, are the greatest stressbusters, for others, these are blobs of calories. However, no matter how high the calorie content is, it does not diminish that dessert is what we are always looking for at the end of a meal (and some can’t wait but start with desserts even before trying out the starters!). Right from the fudge that hails from the United States of America to the jalebi that we are crazy about in India and beyond, the die-hard fans of desserts will never cease to explore more and the evolution of this divine delicacy will continue to perpetuate in the coming centuries as well.
Fudge
This distinct sweets name which delicacy made its first presence in the late 19th century in the US. It is believed to have originated from an accident where sugar got recrystallised while making a big cluster of caramel. No wonder if an accidental recipe turns into such a scrumptious dessert, who knows what more could it be if an actual effort was paid to make it! However, the interesting part is that the dish made its way to the rest of the world and today, the world is in awe of a plate of fudge. No matter what your age, fudge you must try if you have not yet.
Jalebi
Although the origin of this absolutely mouth-watering sweets name is still unrecognised, the dessert platter of India is incomplete without mentioning jalebi. It is believed that in Middle Eastern history there was a particular version of dessert named zulubiya, which could be attributed to the evolution into jalebi. The beloved jalebi goes by a lot of names like jilebi, jilapi, and many more. In Gujarat, jalebi along with its partner fafda is a mandatory item of the Dussehra dessert palette, because it is believed that jalebi is the evolved version of Shashkuli, which used to be one of the favourite sweets of Lord Ram. Not just in Gujarat, the popularity of jalebi also extends to the Rath yatra festival as well when people celebrate Lord Jagannath’s journey to his aunt’s place. Jalebi is also paired with a bowl of rabri, whilst others just prefer having these crunchy sweets with a cup of nice and freshly made chai.
Ice cream
All sweet lovers across the world get happy by hearing this sweets name and have always wanted to reward the person who first invented the idea of this smooth, delicious, and velvety soft dessert. As far as history can tell, it was Antonio Latini, who first created the official version of ice cream from a milk-based sorbet. Another interesting fact associated with ice cream is that it is believed to have been made for the first time for the rulers of the T’ang dynasty of China. Ice cream is known to have miraculous properties that can be very comforting during stressful moments.
Gulab jamun
The history of the sweets name Gulab jamun can be traced back to medieval India when the basic idea of making these red sweetmeats dipped into sugar syrup came from the sweet dishes made by Central Asian Turkish invaders. Gulab jamuns are usually famous in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Maigalganj, where people from different cities come to taste the Gulab jamuns sold in matkas. Such is the popularity of Gulab jamuns that it is added to the dessert section during a variety of festivals, including Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, and big fat Indian weddings. Although India and Turkey are attributed with the creation of gulab jamun, the credit for introducing its exclusive Bengali version is given to Bhim Chandra Nag, who had supposedly dedicated this sweet to the wife of Charles Canning, the Governor General of India between the years 1856-62. He even named the sweet, ‘Ledikini,’ after Lady Canning!
Chocolate cake
Chocolate cakes are some of the most common dessert items in the sweets name list and absolutely loved by kids and adults alike. These come in different varieties like pure dark chocolate cakes, milk chocolate pastries, chocolate, and cherry cake, and so on. It is believed that after the year 1886, cooks from the US decided to bring a twist to the common items of chocolate. Besides the regular chocolate drinks, they started including cocoa in cake recipes, which is why America is the pioneer of the first generation of chocolate cake in the world. From a scientific perspective, chocolate is known to contain endorphins which automatically make people happy the moment they take a bite of a soft satiny piece of a cake primarily made of chocolate. That is why chocolate cakes are one of the most desired items for binge eating, stress eating, and many other excuses to add some extra calories to the diet.
The list of popular desserts all over the world is endless and their evolution over the years is a continuous process that will exist as long as the population with sweet tooth doesn’t become extinct on the planet!
Although the youth crave carb-heavy items, like spaghetti, pizza, pasta, or cheeseburgers, the fondness for desserts is embedded deep in the heart of mankind. That is why including a large variety of sweets name on the menu is a common phenomenon in various festivals and occasions. It is next to impossible to find out one single celebration devoid of any sweet dish. No matter how many people become conscious of their own health issues now, the love for sweets knows no bounds which is evident in the way the presence of sweets is synonymous with celebrations of birthdays, weddings, new year, new jobs, newly-turned parents, and so on. It does not matter where a certain dessert hails from, what influence it has had, or how it received several influences to attain its latest version, the tradition of marking moments of joy and milestones with sweets continues to transcend the borders.
