Dessert

Neri yokan is characterized by a slightly thicker and heavier consistency than the lighter mizu yokan. In its simplest form, this traditional Japanese treat is prepared with a base of red bean paste that is mixed with sugar and a thickening agent, usually agar-agar, to create a firm, jelly-like treat. Modern varieties often use white beans and combine it with various ingredients and flavorings. Neri yokan is the most common yokan variety in Japan.

Neri yokan

Spain

Neula is a Catalan biscuit consisting of flour, sugar, beaten egg whites, butter, and lemon juice. The biscuits are very light and thin, and they are typically rolled into hollow tubes. Neulas are traditionally consumed during the Christmas season, accompanied by a Catalan sparkling wine called cava. The name neula is derived from the word nebula, meaning fog, referring to their delicate and light texture.

Neula

Italy

Ortona's signature waffles are arguably the most significant dessert in this part of the region, and have a history dating back to the 15th century. Also, adding to their exclusivity, the iron used to create the unique design of these waffles is only manufactured in Guardiagrele, a town about 30 miles inland from Ortona. Nevole are made with flour, olive oil, and mosto cotto, unfiltered grape juice that locals make using traditionally only Regina Bianca grapes&mdash;locally known as Pergolona&mdash;or, alternatively, grapes of the Trebbiano or Montepulciano variety. The dough is sometimes additionally flavored with cinnamon and orange zest. Freshly baked, the waffles are rolled into cones and generally served alone, but they can also be stuffed with pastry cream.

Nevole

Russia

Nevsky pirog is a traditional sweet pie or a cake dating back to Soviet times, when it was regularly sold in small eateries or caf&eacute;s, often by the slice. It is made from soft leavened dough that's soaked with syrup and filled with butter-based cream in the middle. The dough is made with flour, sugar, butter, water, salt, eggs, and yeast. Once risen, it's baked until brown and shiny (due to the egg wash), and it's then soaked with syrup consisting of sugar, cognac, and water. The cream is made with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and condensed milk. Nevsky pirog is sliced in half, then filled with the cream, while the top is sprinkled with powdered sugar. The recipe was developed in 1975, and the pie was sold as a big round loaf or by the slice as smaller portioned cakes.

Nevsky pirog

United States

Blueberry muffins are one of the most common dessert staples found in the United States. This sweet and soft cake is a variety of the plain muffin, a baked product originating from the United Kingdom, which became popular in the 18th century. Even though it is not clear when the now-famous blueberry muffin originated, it is probable it was a product of adaptation, when the plain muffin was combined with the authentic North American wild blueberries. Further development of the blueberry muffin continued in 1916 when the tangy wild blueberries were cultivated. The first cultivated crop was grown in New Jersey, by Elisabeth White and Fredric Coville, who managed to produce plump and sweet blueberries, which then continued their path in becoming the American favorite. Even though blueberry muffins are considered to be the national muffins of the state of Minnesota, they are also traditionally associated with New Jersey, which is believed to be the home of the freshest and tastiest blueberries in the country. Blueberry muffins can be found everywhere, in delis, supermarkets, or bakeries. The Americans prefer to eat them for breakfast, dinner, or as a light snack. They come in numerous sizes, and are commonly covered with a crumbly, usually cinnamon-based topping. There is also a National Blueberry Muffin Day, celebrated annually on 11 July.

New Jersey Blueberry Muffins

New York-style cheesecake is different from other cheesecakes mainly because of its heavy and dense texture that feels extremely smooth and rich. Its flavor should be sweet and tangy, not citrusy, chewy, or starchy. It is believed that the first New York-style cheesecake was made by Junior&rsquo;s in the 1950s. The magic formula includes heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, cream cheese, and (optionally) sour cream, while the base usually consists of a sponge cake crust or graham cracker crust.

New York-style cheesecake

Ngalakh is a delicious Senegalese millet porridge that is traditionally flavored with either baobab cream, peanut butter, or sweet yogurt. It is typically served in large bowls as a dessert. The dish is consumed chilled, and it is recommended to sprinkle it with sugar before eating.

Ngalakh

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Nian gao, also known as Chinese New Year cake, is a traditional dessert that is particularly popular during the Chinese New Year. This sweet treat is made from glutinous rice flour, which gives it a sticky, chewy texture, and is sweetened with brown sugar, resulting in a dark, caramel-like color. Some variations of nian gao may also include dates, red bean paste, or taro. The making and eating of nian gao is steeped in Chinese culture and tradition, with the belief that it will bring good luck and increase in prosperity to those who consume it during the New Year festivities. The cake can be prepared in various ways, including steaming, frying, or even baking. When fried, slices of Nian Gao are often coated in egg or batter, creating a crispy exterior with a soft, gooey interior. The practice of sharing Nian Gao with family and friends during the New Year is also a way to express wishes for their prosperity and success.
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Nian gao

France

Niflette is a traditional puff pastry tartlet originating from Provins in Seine et Marne. It is usually made with a combination of puff pastry and pastry cream consisting of egg yolks, flour, milk, sugar, and sometimes orange blossom water. The puff pastry is cut into rounds that are superimposed and a hole in made in the two upper circles. The holes are filled with pastry cream and the pastry tartlet is baked until golden brown. Once done, niflettes are sometimes sprinkled with icing sugar and then enjoyed piping hot with a cup of hot chocolate on the side. Niflette was originally made for All Saints Day, but nowadays it can be bought from mid-October to mid-November. The name is derived from the Latin ne flete, which means cry no more, as the pastry tartlets were given to crying orphans who came out of the church in the olden days.

Niflette

India

Nimish is a traditional dessert originating from Lucknow. This typical sweet dates back to the Nawabs era and it was developed under Middle Eastern influence, which can be seen in ingredients such as rosewater and saffron. Other ingredients usually include double cream, milk, sugar, cashews, pistachios, and almonds. This light and creamy pudding-like concoction made from boiled milk foam is especially popular during winter. The milk and cream are boiled, cooled and aerated in clay pots overnight, then whipped in the morning until fluffy and foamy. Flavorings such as rosewater, pistachios, and almonds are added near the end of the preparation process. If you're lucky, try to get it on the streets from November to January or February.

Nimish

Nocciolini di Chivasso are traditional Italian cookies hailing from the town of Chivasso in Turin, Piedmont. These tiny cookies are made with only three ingredients &ndash; Piedmont IGP hazelnuts, sugar, and egg whites. They were created by a confectioner Giovanni Podio in the 18th century, and the cookies were originally called noasetti. A master confectioner called Luigi Bonfante helped to spread the product all over the country, and he also chose the pink-red color of the packaging that remains an iconic staple of nocciolini di Chivasso to this day.

Nocciolini di Chivasso

Iran

Nogha is a variety of the widely popular Iranian nougat called gaz. Originally, Iranian nougat was made with an unusual exudate of an insect inhabiting wild tamarisk trees. The solid exudate was melted and sieved to create the rich and sweet base of the nougat. Today, the original method is usually replaced with a more available mixture of sugar and beaten egg whites, which produces a product similar in texture and flavor to the original gaz. Nogha is one of the numerous varieties found in the country, typically eaten in the Azerbaijan-Iran region. It is typically made with chopped walnuts, unlike other types which mainly use pistachios and almonds. Nogha gaz is usually spread between two thin wafers and is often cut into larger rectangular shapes. The sweet taste, sticky texture, and crunchy walnuts make nogha an immensely popular confectionery, eaten as a dessert or a sweet snack. Because of its beautiful visual appearance, it is often given as a gift or a traditional and authentic Iranian souvenir.

Nogha

Noghl are popular Iranian sugar-coated almonds. Sugar, water, and rosewater are boiled to create a homogenous liquid in which the roasted almonds are quickly submerged. When cooled, the coating solidifies, creating a sweet and crunchy white layer around the almonds. Since they symbolize happiness and good luck, these bright white treats are an important part of Iranian wedding traditions. They are served at the end of every Iranian wedding, usually accompanied by tea. Besides weddings, noghl can also be consumed as an everyday treat, alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea. They are also popular at Afghan weddings, where they are thrown at newlywed couples instead of confetti. Sugary noghl is usually factory-produced and sold in bags or plastic containers.

Noghl

Nom lote is a Cambodian rice pudding that is made with a combination of rice flour, water, pandan leaf extract, palm sugar, and coconut milk. Rice flour is cooked with water, pandan leaf extract, and white lime until it obtains a thick consistency. The resulting pudding-like mixture is pressed through a strainer, added to a serving bowl, and is then typically topped with a sweet liquid consisting of palm sugar dissolved in salted water and heated coconut milk. Sweet and creamy, the dessert gets its distinctive green color and unique fragrance from the pandan leaf extract used in it. Nom lote can be consumed warm or chilled.

Nom lote

The delicate nonnettes, or jam-filled individual cakes, are one of the classic French desserts. Although there are several different variations of the cake, essentially all of them are gingerbread cakes that are filled with aromatic orange jams and sweetened with honey. The sponge of the little nonnette is soft, usually made with the addition of rye flour and honey, and generously spiced with the gingerbread spice mixture, which includes cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, and ginger. At the heart of each cake, there is a pungent orange marmalade. Occasionally, these tiny delicacies are glazed with a mixture of egg whites, sugar, and lemon juice. They are usually connected to the winter season, and are commonly offered during the St. Nicholas festivities in December, although they can be enjoyed all year round. Translated from French, the name nonnettes means little nuns, referring to the origin story of these French classics. In the Middle Ages, the nuns used to prepare these fragrant cakes at the local monasteries, and in the 19th century, they were commonly offered as a sweet refreshment to travelers who would pass in the vicinity of the monasteries. It is believed that they originate from Dijon, but today they can be found in other parts of France as well. Nonnettes can be found at local bakeries, or bought in stores, which offer pre-packaged versions of these sweet delicacies.

Nonnette

Netherlands

Nonnevot is a unique pastry originating from Limburg, dating back to at least the 17th century. The dough is prepared with flour, yeast, milk, salt, butter, lard, and brown sugar. It is then deep-fried until it develops a golden-brown color. Although nonnevot has traditionally been associated with the carnival, today it can be bought in many regional bakeries. The unusual name of this pastry means nun's butt, referring to its knotted shape and the knot on the back of a nun's uniform.

Nonnevot

This is one of the oldest types of confections, and varieties can be found throughout Italy, Spain, France, the Balkans, and the Middle East. Although each region has its own distinctive type, most nougats are made of whipped egg white mixed with roasted chopped nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts. The result is a sweet treat with a chewy consistency. The exact origin of nougat is hard to trace, but the first recipe for a sweet resembling white nougat called natif was recorded in a 10th-century book found in Baghdad. Nougat can be divided into numerous categories, but the most basic distinction is made between soft or hard nougat, depending on whether it is made with honey or sugar. In Italy, nougat is known as torrone, and each city and region has its own traditional type of torrone, ranging from hard versions made with sugar to soft and chewy honey-based varieties. French nougat is predominately made without eggs and with a larger proportion of nuts, while the Spanish usually use roasted almonds and raw honey. Viennese nougat is somewhat different from the other types &ndash;it is made of finely ground cocoa butter, nuts, and cocoa mass, resulting in a soft chocolaty blend that is usually incorporated with other confections. Most traditional nougats are usually eaten on their own as a dessert or sweet snack, and the festive appearance of sliced nougat has earned it a regular place on various regional holiday platters.

Nougat

Ripe bananas are the star ingredient in this classic Malawian bread. They are mashed and combined with butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and baking powder. Nthochi bread is traditionally baked in rectangular tins and is usually served cut into thick slices. It is best enjoyed as a filling dessert or a sweet snack.

Nthochi

The simple and nutritious nudle s m&aacute;kem is a dish consisting of wide, thin wheat pasta that is doused in copious amounts of melted butter, and then dusted with poppy seeds and sugar. Once considered a rich and luscious meal, today it represents a frugal, but a beloved dish that is enjoyed as a sweet main course or a filling dessert. Even though it is usually associated with the Czech Republic, the exact origin of the dish is still unknown, while similar varieties are found in many Central and Eastern European countries under various names. In Austria, a similar dish is known as mohnnudeln, prepared with thick and short potato noodles, while the Serbian version from Vojvodina is called rezanci s makom.

Nudle s mákem

China

Nuomici is a ball-shaped pastry made with glutinous rice flour. Most commonly, it is rolled in desiccated coconut. Its interior is often filled with ingredients such as sugar, peanuts, azuki bean paste, and black sesame seed paste. The dessert is quite popular in China (especially in the Guangdong province) and Hong Kong. Nuomici is very similar to the Japanese mochi, but the dough in nuomici is steamed instead of boiled, resulting in a texture that is much softer than mochi's. This sweet treat can be found in numerous bakeries throughout Hong Kong, due to it being one of the most popular pastry varieties.