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- Mm.
- I'm Beryl and this week we're looking at desserts.
Or puddings or sweets, whatever you call it.
It is non-savory food week, yay!
The world was not always addicted to sugar.
In fact, the original sweeteners were honey and dried fruit.
But then we got sugar cane.
Sugar cane is actually originally from New Guinea.
But the plant made its way to India
and there, around 100 AD,
are the first instances of sugar refinement.
The crop spread to the Middle East and China rather quickly.
But it didn't get to Europe until around the 12th century
and it really only got there because of colonization.
My dog smells the donut.
- [Man] How ya doing?
- I'm recording!
Hey!
- [Man] Give the dog donut.
- (laughs) There's a lot happening right now.
Since then, sugar has taken on many, many forms.
Ice cream.
Cake.
Perfect French, tiny, expensive cookies.
Mm.
Chocolate.
Jello.
It's good.
There is a lot out there.
There's no way that I could cover it all.
I mean, at least not in a video like I make.
I'd be out here forever.
It'd be delicious though.
But I chose desserts that I thought were interesting
and that maybe you hadn't heard of before.
'Cause we're all curious people, right?
I spoke to seven people in seven countries
to see what desserts were like around the world.
So this is the dessert episode.
In making this episode I decided two things.
One, I'm not gonna do instant desserts.
So nothing from a box.
Sorry, Betty Crocker.
And two, I wanted the desserts to have a connection
to the culture that we were in.
Sorry, one last thing before we start the video.
I know that I could only cover seven.
And I'm sure that I missed some amazing desserts out there.
So let me know in the comments where you're from
and what the best dessert from your country is,
because I am super interested
and I bet other people are too.
My future self thanks you.
Okay, let's start the video.
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(speaking in foreign language)
- Gajar ka halwa is not difficult to make.
It's quite a basic sweet found in Indian households.
The red carrots particularly are quite sweet by themselves.
So it's a sweet dish with a nice crunch of nuts to it.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Beryl] Okay, let's begin.
So first up, a dessert from Turkey
that leads with a non-traditional ingredient, chicken.
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(speaking in foreign language)
I saw this dessert on "Great British Bake Off"
and was totally intrigued.
Did not disappoint.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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In Colombia, this dessert has a deep rooted history
with not only the city but the people who make it.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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I chose this dessert from Japan
because it is made out of something
that I would not consider a dessert, beans.
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(speaking in foreign language)
Whenever I'm in India, this is what I ask for after dinner.
The carrots here work perfectly in the dessert.
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- Gajar ka halwa is made out of the things
that you usually find in your kitchen.
My name is Anar.
I live in Gujarat, India.
This recipe was taught to me by my mother-in-law.
Her recipe of gajar ka halwa is really loved
by all our family and friends.
Gajar is like carrots.
And halwa is like a pudding made
with wheat flour, semolina, other vegetable.
Gaja ka halwa is cooked grated carrots
in milk or cream and then sweeten it with sugar.
The red carrots particularly are quite sweet by themselves.
So the among of sugar that you put
in this dish is quite subjective.
Nuts are fried.
Nuts are added to it, raisins are added to it.
That's how a gajar ka halwa is made.
This is usually eaten
during special occasions but during winters,
people prefer to eat it daily as a dessert.
It can be even eaten with ice cream during summers.
So it is very rich in taste.
It has a good flavor of carrots and cardamom
and that gives it a very nice crunch.
So it's a very universal dish,
very appealing to the taste and simple to eat and cook.
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- [Beryl] This dessert from Lebanon actually makes
my mouth water just thinking about how good it tastes.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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And finally, we end with a cake
that's cooked over an open fire
and looks nothing like a cake.
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(speaking in foreign language)
- Mm.
(speaking in foreign language)
(people cheering)
(speaking in foreign language)
- I think desserts are an amazing way to explore a country
because if you're not totally down
with trying the main parts of the cuisine,
maybe you're not the most adventurous eater,
desserts are a really safe place to go.
Plus, they're usually utilizing a lot
of local ingredients and flavors.
So you're still totally getting a taste
and a sense of where you are.
Which is great.
Desserts look good and they make you feel good.
And they taste really good.
So, yeah, I don't know.
This has been a great week.
I liked it.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Because this dessert is special,
you enjoy eating it with the family.
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