Dessert

Japan

Sakuramochi is a traditional dessert that is made to depict sakura (cherry blossom), so the rice cake is usually pink in color. Most of the times, sakuramochi contains red bean paste and it is covered with a salty cherry blossom leaf, which some people consume together with the rice cake, and some don't. Although the sweet treat is sold throughout the year, it can be found most easily in spring, when cherry blossoms are in season. It is believed that sakuramochi was invented in 1717 in Edo by a guard named Yamamoto Shinroku, using the leaves from the trees along the Sumida River. He started to sell his new treats; people loved them, and that is how sakuramochi was born. Today, there are two versions of sakuramochi, the domyouji mochi from Kansai, consisting of steamed rice filled with anko and wrapped with a leaf, and the chomeiji mochi from Kanto, made with a pink crepe instead of rice.

Sakuramochi

Chocolate salami is a famous dessert which combines chocolate and crushed cookies in a delicious sweet roll. Equally popular in Italy and Portugal, the true origin of the dish is vague, and it is regarded as an indispensable dessert of both national cuisines. Traditional versions were usually made with a blend of chocolate and eggs, while the modern varieties usually use firm ganache mixtures and often incorporate nuts or dried fruit. The name of this sweet treat is derived from its cylindrical shape, which resembles a salami, and the combination of dark chocolate and light cookies which look like speckled salami fat. It is served cut into thick slices and is usually accompanied with a cup of coffee or tea. Although it is traditionally associated with Portugal and Italy, chocolate salami is an internationally acclaimed dessert found and prepared in many countries around the world.

Salame di cioccolato

Italy

Salame Turco is an Italian salumi-shaped sweet, made with chocolate or cocoa, crumbled dry biscuits, almonds, and honey. Turco, meaning Turkish, does not refer to the origin but to the color of this dessert &ndash; in the past, Sicily was invaded by the dark, chocolate-colored skinned Moors, back in the days also called Turks. The chocolate makes this dessert dark, and when it is cut, the crumbs and the almonds really do resemble the minced fat component of the salumi &ndash; hence the name. Although it is a traditional Sicilian product, it is prepared throughout Italy with some regional variations using local ingredients.

Salame Turco

Austria

Salzburger nockerl are light and delicate vanilla-flavored dumplings which are, due to the method of preparation, often labeled as a souffl&eacute;. As the name implies, the dish was invented in Salzburg in the 17th century, and as an ode to its place of origin, when preparing these sweet treats, the airy mass is arranged on a baking tray in three mounds, representing the three hills that surround the city. The dish is always served warm, either as a dessert or a main dish, and it is traditionally dusted with powdered sugar and paired with various fruit sauces.

Salzburger Nockerl

Germany

This German variety of the spit cake is sometimes called the king of cakes, as it was served at the courts of German royalty. This layered pastry was invented in the old Hanseatic League town of Salzwedel in Saxony-Anhalt some 200 years ago. Salzwedeler Baumkuchen is prepared using a unique baking process &ndash; twelve to fifteen layers of batter are applied layer by layer to a spit and baked over an open fire. The typical ingredients are butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Baking powder is not used. Various ground nuts, marzipan, honey, or brandy can be added as fillings. Spices such as cardamom are used to emphasize the cake&rsquo;s special aroma. Finally, the cake is either coated with dark chocolate or a sugar glaze.

Salzwedeler Baumkuchen

Şambali, also sometimes spelled as şambali tatlısı is a traditional dessert originating from İzmir. It is mainly made with semolina, sugar, and yogurt. Additionally, it may contain other ingredients like coconut, depending on the recipe or regional variations. The dessert is baked and then soaked in sugar syrup to make it sweet and moist. It has a dense and moist texture, somewhat similar to a sponge cake but denser due to the semolina. Şambali is often cut into squares or diamonds and usually topped with a piece of almond, peanut, or pistachio.

Şambali

Croatia

Samoborska krem&scaron;nita is a popular dessert originating from the Croatian town of Samobor. It consists of two layers of puff pastry that are filled with custard cream. A thin layer of whipped cream is sometimes placed on top of the custard. The whole cake is typically dusted with powdered sugar, and before serving, the cake is sliced into cubes. Krem&scaron;nita can be consumed warm or chilled. It is believed that this tasty dessert was invented by pastry chef Đuro Lukačić who had worked in Vienna and Budapest, and upon arriving in Samobor, he modified some of their recipes to create Samoborska krem&scaron;nita, which proved to be a huge hit up to this day.

Samoborska kremšnita

Greece

Samsades is a traditional dessert consisting of phyllo dough that&rsquo;s rolled around a filling of nuts, baked, and then drenched in sugar or honey syrup, local thyme honey, or grape must (petimezi). The filling typically consists of almonds and sesame seeds, although walnuts are also occasionally added to the combination, and it's often flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and almond flavoring or floral water. Similar to baklava, the dessert is usually made with a type of thin Greek pastry called phyllo kroustas, and it is one of the traditional desserts prepared on the island of Lemnos and Laconia. These sweet pastries are commonly enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee or tea, and they&rsquo;re typically made around New Year&rsquo;s and Christmas, although nowadays, they can be found year-round in bakeries.

Samsades

India

Sandesh is a traditional sweet originating from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is typically served as a dessert and consists of milk, chhena or paneer, sugar, and flavorings such as cardamom and saffron. The small paneer balls are typically garnished with pistachios, almonds, or crushed pineapple. After spending some time in the refrigerator, well-chilled sandesh is ready to be served and consumed. Although sandesh is usually round in shape, it can also be shaped into elephants, fish, or conch shells.

Sandesh

Sandkaker or sandbakelse are traditional cookies originating from Norway. They're usually made with a combination of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and blanched ground almonds. The butter and flour are mixed until crumbly, and the dough is finished with the addition of almonds, sugar, and eggs. The dough is placed in the fridge for about an hour before it's pressed into greased sandkaker molds. The cookies are baked until golden and they should be left to cool slightly before they're removed from the molds and enjoyed. Sandkaker are often prepared during the festive Christmas season.

Sandkaker

Sandn&oslash;tter are traditional cookies originating from Norway. They're usually made with a combination of butter, potato starch flour, flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, and baking powder. The butter is mixed with sugar until fluffy, and the combination is then mixed with other ingredients. The mixture is chilled in the fridge and it's then shaped into small balls that are gently pressed with a fork. The cookies are baked in the oven until golden, and it's important to watch them carefully so that they don't burn while being baked. These light and airy cookies are traditionally made during the festive Christmas season.

Sandnøtter

Sandtorte is a traditional cake originating from Vienna, where it's a coffeehouse staple. The cake is usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, cornstarch, and salt. The butter is beaten and mixed with sugar and egg yolks. The egg whites are whisked with sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks, and it's then folded into the butter mixture. The flour, cornstarch, and salt are folded into the batter, and it is then spread in a buttered and floured Gugelhupf pan. The cake is baked for about 50 minutes, and it's then cooled, inverted, unmolded, and ready to be enjoyed.

Sandtorte

Sangkhaya fak thong is a traditional dessert originating from Thailand. It consists of a pumpkin that's filled with creamy custard. The ingredients include a whole pumpkin, duck or hen eggs, sugar, coconut milk or cream, pandan leaves, cornstarch or rice flour, and salt. The pumpkin is cut so that the lid, the seeds, and the flesh are removed from the inside. The coconut milk, sugar, and pandan leaves are gently heated, then slightly cooled before they're mixed with whisked eggs and a bit of cornstarch. The resulting custard is placed inside the pumpkin, which is then steamed, cooled, cut into slices, and served. This visually attractive dessert can be found at street food stalls and in restaurants all over Thailand.

Sangkhaya fak thong

Hailing from the time when animals were butchered in a true snout-to-tail culinary fashion without a morsel going to waste, sanguinaccio emerged as a special dessert making use of those nasty but tasty bits: this Italian sweet pudding is made from fresh pork blood, milk custard, and melted bittersweet dark chocolate. For a richer version, the pudding is often flavored with cinnamon and cloves or lemon zest, and sometimes studded with raisins, toasted almonds, pine nuts, and candied fruit, whereas in some regions it is cooked with the addition of rice. In Naples and the rest of southern Italy, sanguinaccio is traditionally prepared during the Carnival season, and enjoyed with crispy fried ribbons of pastry called chiacchiere, an Italian version of angel wings, but it can also be served with cookies to dip, either the hard, crunchy biscotti or the tender Italian ladyfingers.

Sanguinaccio

Sankhya lapov is a traditional dessert that consists of a small pumpkin filled with creamy custard containing coconut milk or cream, palm sugar paste, eggs, and salt. It is usually prepared with kabocha squash, which is dark green on the outside and has a bright orange interior with a sweet flavor. The top of the squash is cut off, its seeds are removed, and the cavity is filled with the custard. The pumpkin&rsquo;s top is then replaced, and the pumpkin custard is steamed until it is thoroughly cooked. Sankhya lapov can be enjoyed warm or chilled, and it is traditionally prepared for special occasions and religious festivals. In the Khmer language, sankhya means custard, while lapov translates to pumpkin. This sweet treat is also a typical dessert in Thailand and Laos, where it is known as sangkhaya fak thong and sangkhaya maryu, respectively.

Sankhya lapov

Although undoubtedly French in origin, the decadent sans rival (lit. without rival) is a classic Filipino dessert and an all-time favorite that truly lives up to its name. It is made with layers of dacquoise; a crispy, baked nut meringue sandwiched together with the so-called p&acirc;te &agrave; bombe - a gorgeously smooth, velvety and rich French buttercream. But unlike the French original, which is traditionally made with either almond or hazelnut meringue, the Filipino version uses toasted cashews instead. Sans rival is said to have been invented sometime between the 1920s and 1930s, when many Filipinos traveled to Europe to study, and upon returning home to the Philippines, they started employing some of the cooking and patisserie techniques they learned while studying abroad. Later on, the Filipinos even came up with a snack version of the famous cake: silvanas or sylvanas are popular frozen cookie sandwiches, coated in cashew crumbs, and made with two cashew-meringue wafers held together with a thick layer of buttercream.

Sans rival

Sanwin makin is a traditional dessert originating from Myanmar (Burma). It is usually made by boiling semolina, sugar, and coconut cream to make a thick dough, and eggs are added to aerate the mixture before it's baked in the oven. The list of ingredients includes semolina, sugar, coconut cream, butter, eggs, salt, and cardamom. Once baked, sanwin makin is typically topped with sesame seeds. This dessert can be enjoyed warm or cold and it's traditionally cut into diamond shapes. Sanwin makin is especially popular during festive times in the country.

Sanwin makin

Sago pearls (also known as tapioca pearls) in coconut milk are a type of Cantonese tong sui (lit. sugar water; dessert soup). This simple treat can be found in many dim-sum eateries in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, where it is served as a perfect ending to a meal. Also, for a refreshing summer dessert, sao mai lo is often mixed with fresh fruits like mango, pomelo and strawberries.

Sao mai lo

Philippines

The colorful sapin-sapin is a unique Filipino rice cake. It is made with a simple batter of rice and coconut milk, and usually consists of three separate layers which are tinted and flavored with different colors and aromas. The most popular combination consists of a yellow bottom layer infused with jackfruit, the plain white middle layer, and the vibrant purple top blended with sweet yams. After it is steamed and before serving, the cake is usually garnished with toasted coconut flakes or latik coconut curds.

Sapin-sapin

Portugal

These fish-shaped treats are Portuguese desserts that originated in convents. The cakes consist of thin dough and a filling that is made with a combination of egg yolks, ground almonds, sugar, and cinnamon. They are finished off by dipping the ends in chocolate, while the whole cakes are occasionally dusted with cinnamon sugar. As the name implies, the origin of these unusually-shaped desserts is associated with Trancoso, and they are believed to have been invented at the Santa Clara convent.