Dessert

Japan

Kasutera is a traditional sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and starchy syrup. This Nagasaki specialty is raised solely by egg foam, with no added butter or oil, and has a soft, moist, and spongy texture. The cake is also known as Castella, and was brought to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese merchants. Its name is derived from pao de Castela, meaning bread from Castille. Today, it is common to find Nagasaki kasutera in many variations, with flavors such as chocolate, green matcha tea, brown sugar, or honey. It is a popular gift and a nice souvenir to give to friends or relatives. Kasutera is so adapted to the Japanese cuisine that there is even a baby kasutera, a small-sized version of the cake that is traditionally prepared for numerous Japanese festivals.

Kasutera

This unique Turkish dessert consists of dried apricots that are first cooked in a lemon-flavored syrup until soft, then stuffed with kaymak&mdash;a type of clotted cream made with water buffalo milk. In the end, the apricots are rolled in ground pistachios. Fruity, creamy, and nutty all at once, kaymaklı kayısı delivers an interesting combination of textures and flavors. To enhance their color, the apricots can also be simmered in red wine, and alternatively garnished with walnuts or hazelnuts, while blanched almonds can also be added to the cream filling.

Kaymaklı kayısı

Türkiye

Kazandibi is a traditional Turkish milk pudding with a caramelized top, originating from Ottoman cuisine. It is made by thickening milk with rice flour and sugar, then spreading a portion onto a buttered surface where it caramelizes as it cooks. This process creates a distinctive burnt layer, giving Kazandibi its signature flavor and texture. It is typically served chilled and has a creamy, slightly chewy consistency with a delicate sweetness. Often enjoyed as a dessert, it is commonly found in Turkish restaurants and patisseries.

Kazandibi

Bulgaria

Kazanlak donuts are a specialty of the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak &ndash; also known as the City of roses. The donuts consist of eggs, flour, yogurt, milk, yeast, salt, sugar, and vanilla flavoring. After the dough has been fried in hot oil, Kazanlak donuts are typically dusted with powdered sugar or topped with honey, jam, or syrup, although they can be consumed without any toppings.

Kazanlŭshki ponichki

Australia

Kek chokul&aring;ti is a Chamorro chocolate cake that is quite popular at weddings and birthdays. In its most basic form, it is made with eggs, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, butter, and salt, although additional ingredients can be added, such as coffee, coconut, or nuts. This cake is classified in the Chamorro food category called postri, including various pastries, sweet rolls, and cakes.

Kek chokulåti

Keke fa'i is the perfect way to use leftover, overripe bananas. This Samoan cake is made with flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and mashed bananas. Once the cake is baked, it should be left to cool off, and then it could be filled with whipped cream or topped with a chocolate frosting, depending on personal preferences.

Keke fa'i

Croatia

Kele&scaron;ica is a traditional cake without any fillings. It originates from the region of Međimurje. The cake is made with flour, pork fat, sour cream, sugar, and milk, although there are numerous versions of kele&scaron;ica and ingredients may vary. When the dough is ready, it should be rolled and cut into desired shapes. It is then baked in the oven until golden brown on top. If desired, kele&scaron;ica can be sprinkled with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. This traditional cake is simple, easy to prepare, and inexpensive, which is why it is often considered a peasant dish.

Kelešica

Kelewele is a flavorful Ghanaian dish consisting of deep-fried plantain chunks that are usually combined with salt, ginger, and hot peppers. It is usually served as an accompaniment to bean stews or rice dishes, although kelewele is also often sold by numerous African street vendors as a dessert. Cooks usually like to add peanuts, cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon to the mix in order to give kelewele an additional layer of flavor.

Kelewele

Kemalpaşa is a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth Turkish dessert named after the place of its origin in the city of Bursa. It is made with a special, unsalted cow&rsquo;s milk cheese produced in the town, along with flour, semolina, eggs, and baking powder. The dough is traditionally shaped into small balls that are first baked in the oven, then boiled in sherbet. Besides the standard version, there is also a packaged version of dry kemalpaşa. In winter, the dessert is usually served with cream, and in summer, it is served with a scoop of ice cream. This sweet treat is so popular in the city that it even has its own festival, celebrated annually on September 14th.

Kemalpaşa

United States

Kentucky jam cake is a traditional cake originating from Kentucky. This old-fashioned cake is made with a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, raisins, blackberry jam, chopped walnuts or pecans, baking soda, and baking powder. It's typically spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Traditionally, the cake has three alternating layers of cake and icing. The flavors are sweet and tangy. This southern cake is especially popular for Christmas, although it's often prepared throughout the year. It's also a staple at church suppers, picnics, and special occasions.

Kentucky Jam Cake

Almond-flavored milk pudding is a light Turkish dessert that is believed to have originated during the Ottoman era and was named after a traditional bowl that dervishes used to collect money or other goods. It is prepared with a combination of milk, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, and ground almonds, but the dessert is also sometimes additionally flavored with coconut. Keşk&uuml;l is traditionally served well-chilled in small bowls, and usually comes topped with ground pistachios, almonds, or desiccated coconut.

Keşkül

Although the plump and round chestnut baklavas are mostly associated with the city of Bursa and Marmara region, they are a nationwide favorite nevertheless. This delightful treat is made by wrapping phyllo pastry sheets around whole candied chestnuts&mdash;kestane şekeri in Turkish. Like most others, kestaneli baklava is typically topped with ground pistachios.

Kestaneli baklava

Key lime pie is a glass-green sweet and sour dessert originating from the Florida Keys. It consists of intensely aromatic Key lime juice, condensed milk, and eggs that are mixed together into a custard. The custard is poured into a buttery crust made from graham crackers and topped with sweet whipped cream. The spicy and acidic flavors of the limes provide a great contrast to sugar and sweet cream. Key lime, also known as citrus aurantifolia, Mexican lime, and West Indian lime is a fruit indigenous to Malaysia, and it has been connected to Florida since the 1830s when a botanist named Henry Perrine started planting them on Florida's Indian Key. Today, they are used in this traditional, refreshing pie that is even better when paired with light-bodied, crisp, and fruity white wines.

Key Lime Pie

India

Khaja is a traditional dessert consisting of flour, sugar, and ghee-based dough that is deep-fried in oil until golden and crispy. After the preparation, khaja is sometimes soaked in sugar syrup, depending on the regional variation of the recipe. This tasty dessert is one of the key dishes at numerous North Indian wedding feasts. There are many regional varieties of khaja, so khajas from Silao and Rajgir are characterized by their puffiness, while khajas of the coastal part of Andhra Pradesh are dry on the exterior and filled with sugar syrup on the inside. All of the varieties should have a wafery texture and melt in the mouth. There is also a special variety of khaja called belgrami which is not so sweet and is made from milk solids, sugar, and ghee.

Khaja

Khanfaroosh is a deep-fried dessert similar to doughnuts popular in Gulf countries, namely Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Emirates. It&rsquo;s made with wheat flour, rice flour, eggs, sugar baking powder, saffron, cardamom, and rosewater. These soft and spongy cakes are typically paired with tea and coffee.

Khanfaroosh

Khanom chan is a unique Thai dessert made with steamed batter of several starches, typically rice, tapioca, and arrowroot flour, coconut milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Making this Thai delicacy is a laborious process, but definitely worth the time and effort. The batter is divided into two halves - one flavored only with jasmine, whereas the other is flavored both with jasmine and pandan. The pandan leaves&rsquo; extract gives the latter a typical green color and a nutty flavor. The dessert is then steamed into several individual layers, traditionally nine, alternating between the coconut-infused batter and the coconut-and-pandan-infused one, which results in its distinctive two-toned look. Although the traditional khanom chan has white and green layers, different food dyes can be added to the batter to achieve a more colorful dessert. This silky delicacy is usually decorated with jasmine flowers and pairs perfectly with a cup of tea.

Khanom chan

Thailand

Khanom farang kutti chin is a traditional cake originating from the Kudi Chin community in Bangkok. This muffin-like cake was influenced by Portuguese and Chinese cuisine and it&rsquo;s usually made with a combination of duck eggs, wheat flour, and sugar. The batter doesn&rsquo;t contain any milk, yeast, or butter. Once baked, these small cakes are typically topped with raisins or dried sweet gourds. Khanom farang kutti chin has been recognized by Bangkok&rsquo;s City Hall as one of the important &ldquo;local wisdoms&rdquo; of Bangkok that&rsquo;s worth preserving as it displays a crucial intersection between Portuguese and Thai culture and cuisine.

Khanom farang kutti chin

This small-sized Thai dessert, which is often referred to as a pancake, pudding, or a cake, is created with a batter that combines rice flour and coconut milk. The dessert is baked in large iron pans that have small, round indentations, and it is typically prepared in two stages&mdash;with a batter that is used as a crispy bottom layer, and a creamy, lightly sweetened coconut milk filling. Typical additions to the custard-like filling include sliced scallions, taro, corn, or pumpkin. Khanom khrok is a staple street food in Thailand, typically enjoyed as a quick and filling snack that balances sweet and savory flavors extremely well.

Khanom khrok

Khanom tan is a Thai dessert whose main ingredient is the vibrant yellow flesh of palm fruit. Mashed fruit is combined with coconut milk, sugar, and rice flour before the mixture is placed into individual containers made from banana leaves. The cakes are sprinkled with grated coconut before they are steamed. These small treats were usually prepared for special occasions such as religious ceremonies and various festivities, but nowadays they are a staple dessert.

Khanom tan

Even though it has Tokyo in its name, this pancake variety is an authentic Thai invention that is prepared with leavened egg batter. The fillings may include sweet options such as various creamy spreads and custards or savory ingredients such as sausages, quail eggs, or ground pork. The dish is usually made at street stalls, and the pancakes are typically small in size and served rolled. There's also a version called the phiset, which means special, and it consists of a larger cr&ecirc;pe that's filled with crumbled sausage, beaten eggs, Maggi seasoning sauce, and powdered white pepper. The origin of khanom Tokyo is often associated with Thai-Daimaru department store in Bangkok, and the dish is said to be a variation of dorayaki, a Japanese pancake that's stuffed with red bean paste.