Dessert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Dessert (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with desert. Dessert | A flourless chocolate cake (torte) | Type | Usually sweet | Variations | Numerous (biscuits, cakes, tarts, cookies, sandeshs, gelatins, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, custards, and sweet soups, etc.) | Cookbook: Dessert Media: Dessert |

Apple Pie

Baked custard

An assortment of desserts on a table
Dessert (/dɨˈzɜrt/) is a course that concludes a main meal. The course usually consists of sweet foods and beverages, but may include coffee, cheeses, nuts, or other savory items. In some parts of the world there is no tradition of dessert to conclude a meal.
The term dessert can apply to many foods, such as cakes, tarts, cookies, biscuits, gelatins, pastries, ice creams, pies, puddings, custards, and sweet soups. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses because of its naturally occurring sweetness. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts.
Contents
* 1 Etymology * 2 Usage * 3 History * 4 Ingredients * 5 Varieties * 5.1 Cakes * 5.2 Chocolates and candies * 5.3 Cookies or biscuits * 5.4 Custards and puddings * 5.5 Deep-fried desserts * 5.6 Frozen desserts * 5.7 Jellied desserts * 5.8 Pastries * 5.9 Pies, cobblers, and clafoutis * 5.10 Sweet soups * 6 Gallery * 7 By continent * 7.1 Africa * 7.2 Asia * 7.3 Eurasia * 7.4 North America * 7.5 South America * 7.6 Oceania * 8 Market * 9 Nutrition * 10 See also * 10.1 List articles * 11 References * 12 Further reading
Etymology
The word "dessert" originated from the French word desservir, meaning "to clear the table."[1] Its first known use was in 1600, in a health education manual entitled Naturall and artificial Directions for Health, which was written by William Vaughan.[2][3] In his A History of Dessert (2013), Michael Krondl explains it refers to the fact dessert was served after the table had been cleared of other dishes.[4] The term dates from the 14th century but attained its current meaning around the beginning of the 20th century when "service à la française" (setting a variety of dishes on the table at the same time) was replaced with "service à la russe" (presenting a meal in courses.)"[4]
Usage
The word dessert is most commonly used for this course in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland whilst Pudding is more commonly used in the United Kingdom. Alternatives such as "sweets" or "afters" are also used in the United Kingdom[5] and some other Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong, and India.[citation needed]
History
Sweets were fed to the gods in ancient Mesopotamia[6]:6 and India[6]:16 and other ancient civilizations.[7] Dried fruit and honey were likely the first sweeteners used in most of the world, but the spread of sugarcane around the world was essential to the development of dessert.[6]:13

The spread of sugarcane
Sugarcane was grown and refined in India before 500 BCE[6]:26 and was crystallized, making it easy to transport, by 500 CE. Sugar and sugarcane were traded, making sugar available to Macedonia by 300 BCE and China by 600 CE. In South Asia, the Middle East and China, sugar has been a staple of cooking and desserts for over a thousand years. Sugarcane and sugar were little known and rare in Europe until the twelfth century or later, when the Crusades and then colonialization spread its use.
Europeans began to manufacture sugar in the Middle Ages, and more sweet desserts became available.[8] Even then sugar was so expensive usually only the wealthy could indulge on special occasions. The first apple pie recipe was published in 1381.[9] The earliest documentation of the term cupcake was in "Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats" in 1828 in Eliza Leslie's Receipts cookbook.[10]
The Industrial Revolution in America and Europe caused desserts (and food in general) to be mass-produced, processed, preserved, canned, and packaged. Frozen foods became very popular starting in the 1920s when freezing emerged. These processed foods became a large part of diets in many industrialized nations. Many countries have desserts and foods distinctive to their nations or region.[11]
See also: Food industry
Ingredients
Sweet desserts usually contain cane sugar, palm sugar, honey or some type of syrup such as molasses, maple syrup, treacle, or corn syrup. Other common ingredients in Western-style desserts are flour or other starches, fats such as butter or lard, dairy, eggs, salt, acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, and spices and other flavoring agents such as chocolate, peanut butter, fruits, and nuts. The proportions of these ingredients, along with the preparation methods, play a major part in the consistency, texture, and flavor of the end product.
Sugars contribute moisture and tenderness to baked goods. Flour or starch components serves as a protein and gives the dessert structure. Fats contribute moisture and can enable the development of flaky layers in pastries and pie crusts. The dairy products in baked goods keep the desserts moist. Many desserts also contain eggs, in order to form custard or to aid in the rising and thickening of a cake-like substance. Egg yolks specifically contribute to the richness of desserts. Egg whites can act as a leavening agent[12] or provide structure. Desserts can contain many spices and extracts to add a variety of flavors. Salt and acids are added to desserts to balance sweet flavors and create a contrast in flavors.
Some desserts are made with coffee, such as tiramisu, or a coffee-flavoured version of a dessert can be made, for example an iced coffee soufflé or coffee biscuits.[13] Alcohol can also be used as an ingredient, to make alcoholic desserts.[14]