Desserts Sweets that won't Desert you

Dessert is the favourite part of a meal not only of children but of everyone present at the dinner table. No wonder 14th October is celebrated every year as National Dessert Day. Sweets are an inevitable part of almost all festivals and festivities in India. Any social event must end with a dessert – if not an array of them! In India sweets are a gesture of goodwill. Desserts thus form an essential part of the meal. Ashok Malkani looks at the various aspects of this final course of a meal including its benefits and the popularity of different desserts in countries around the world.

- Ashok Malkani

India is not only famous for its rich culture and heritage but also for its food associated with its festivities. From east to west and north to south the country’s populace not only express their love through food and sweets but sweets also form an important component of each celebration and feast. With such an affection for sweets is it any wonder that they like to end their meals with a sweet – the dessert?

Dessert is not just an integral or loved part of the meal for Indians but desserts are popular all over the globe. As someone remarked, stressed is desserts spelled backwards. So, if you are feeling stressed have a dessert!

Linda Grayson has said , “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” Truly, desserts are ever-popular friends of diners, globally. Desserts are, at their core, an indulgence yet they are becoming extremely popular with all ages. Why?

Kshitiz Shekhar, Executive Chef, Hotel Marine Plaza, Mumbai discloses, “Desserts are becoming popular across the globe. Everyone is focused regarding healthy body and mind especially in the era of pandemic. Dessert craving was always there but the trend of having dessert has changed in modern days. Over the last five years, industry players have reformulated many frozen cakes and pastry products with more nutritious, higher-quality ingredients to appeal to health-conscious consumers. More natural and organic products also appeared in the baking aisle, including baking mixes and jarred frosting made without artificial flavours or preservatives. The dessert category nowadays include more ingredients that are associated with healthy living with clean label, organic, free-from (gluten-free, dairy-free, sugarfree), and vegan or plant-based options.”