Dessert

Shaaria is a traditional dessert made with a unique blend of ingredients. Pasta nets are first boiled, then fried and combined with sugar, melted butter, raisins or coconut, sesame oil, and a bit of salt. This flavorful dessert is typically prepared and served during Ramadan.

Shaaria

Shahi tukray, which translates to emperor&rsquo;s morsels, is a Pakistani dessert that is believed to have its roots in the Mughlai cuisine. The dessert consists of crispy slices of fried bread drenched in a mixture of hot sugar syrup and a cardamom-and-saffron-scented milk sauce enriched with chopped almonds and pistachios. This bread pudding is a typical sweet treat in India as well, where it is known as double ka meetha, meaning a sweet dish made from bread. In both Pakistan and India, shahi tukray is traditionally prepared on important occasions and religious holidays such as Eid and Ramadan Iftar. The sweet and milky dessert can be consumed at room temperature or chilled, and it can optionally be adorned with gold or silver leaves.

Shahi tukray

Shakarshee is a traditional cookie originating from Armenia. The cookies are usually made with a combination of wheat flour, egg yolks, walnuts (chopped and halved), icing sugar, and butter. In order to prepare them, butter is mixed with icing sugar, and egg yolks are then added to the mix until well-blended. Flour is added to the mixture along with chopped walnuts, and the dough is formed into small balls. Walnut halves are pushed on top of each cookies, and they&rsquo;re baked in the oven until golden. Once cooled, shakarshee can be enjoyed with a cup of tea on the side.

Shakarshee

Shaker-churek is a traditional cookie originating from Azerbaijan. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, icing sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. The butter is mixed with icing sugar and then with vanilla, egg yolks and whites, and flour. The dough is left to chill in the fridge for about an hour. Once firm, it&rsquo;s formed into small balls that are placed on a baking sheet. An indentation is made in each dough ball, and they&rsquo;re brushed with egg yolks. The cookies are baked in the oven until golden brown, cooled, and then dusted with icing sugar before consumption. Shaker-churek cookies are traditionally baked during Nowruz; a feast held to celebrate the coming of spring.

Shaker-churek

United States

This pie variety is a specialty of the Ohio Shakers (descendants of an 18th-century Christian ascetic movement), consisting of a flaky, buttery crust and a curd-like citrus filling made with sugar, eggs, and lemons. The pie is sometimes enriched with the addition of ginger or blackberries. Shakers believe that one should finish every last crumb and tidbit on the plate when eating, and it is not hard to do so when having a slice of this sweet, flavorful pie.

Shaker Lemon Pie

Shamishi is a popular Cypriot dessert consisting of fried pastry dough that is filled with sweet semolina paste. These treats are additionally flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water, and are traditionally sprinkled with powdered sugar. Shamishi can be found at various Cypriot fairs and festivals throughout the year, and it is recommended to serve them hot. The word shamishi means work of Damascus, and it's believed that the dessert was brought to Cyprus by Anatolian Turks during the Ottoman period.

Shamishi

China

The Shanghai mooncake is a type of mooncake from Shanghai, that's distinctive from the better-known Cantonese variety. A notable feature of Shanghai mooncakes is their crust, which is buttery, shortbread-like, and often glossy from a light egg wash, providing a rich and tender bite. The filling of these mooncakes can be quite varied, but the most popular variety is with lotus seed or red bean paste and salted egg yolk. They are traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a significant event in Chinese culture that celebrates the harvest and family reunion, while also being available and enjoyed at other times of the year.

Shanghai yuebing

Delicate, airy, and moist, sharlotka is the most popular Russian apple pie, mainly due to the ease of its preparation. It consists of eggs, sugar, flour, baking soda, and apple slices, but some people like to add honey or cinnamon into the cake in order to improve its flavors. The cake is very low in calories, which might be another reason for its popularity. It is recommended to allow the cake to cool before serving and sprinkle it with powdered sugar on top.

Sharlotka

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Sheer khurma is a traditional Persian dessert made especially for the celebration of Eid, marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Sheer khurma is a rich and creamy dish that consists of vermicelli (thin noodles) cooked with dates, whole milk, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter). It is usually garnished with almonds, pistachios, cashews, raisins, and cardamom, which give it a distinctive flavor and rich texture. The dates are a key ingredient, giving the dish its sweetness and name (the literal translation is "milk and dates"). Some versions may also include saffron and rose water for added flavor. Sheer khurma is enjoyed by Muslim communities around the world, and is especially popular in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Despite being a celebratory dish, it is not uncommon for sheer khurma to be enjoyed on other special occasions or as a sweet treat.
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Sheer khurma

Sheer pira, meaning sweet milk in Dari, is a traditional dessert made with a mixture of full-cream milk powder, ground cardamom, rosewater, and ground or chopped nuts combined with hot sugar syrup. The creamy mixture is added to a lined or greased tray or a deep dish, smoothed out, and then sprinkled with additional chopped or powdered nuts. Typical nuts used for the dessert include walnuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, or almonds, which are often roasted for added flavor. Once the dessert hardens to a fudge-like consistency, it is cut into diamond-shaped slices or squares before serving. In Afghanistan, this sweet and fragrant milk candy is traditionally made for Eid festivities, various special occasions and celebrations such as weddings or parties.

Sheer pira

Sheer yakh, meaning frozen milk or cold milk in Dari, is a traditional dessert that uses the same ingredients as the Indian kulfi ice cream but is prepared differently. The ice cream ingredients such as milk, sugar, and flavorings are all added to a metal container, which is then placed inside another metal container filled with ice and salt. The person who makes the ice cream continuously rotates the vessel holding the ingredients manually within the stationary ice-filled container and occasionally stirs the creamy mixture until it becomes frozen. Typical flavorings include cardamom, rose water, and salep (wild orchid powder). A favorite summertime street food item, sheer yakh is usually served in small bowls and topped with chopped pistachios, almonds, and thick cream.

Sheer yakh

Shekerbura is a simple and delicate sweet pastry, enjoying the status of one of the most famous Azerbaijani desserts. The tender pastry shell is made with a simple butter-based dough, which is then filled with a sweet nut filling. Frequent nut varieties used in shekerbura are ground almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts. The shell is intricately decorated with different geometrical shapes, transforming this sweet delicacy into a decorative dessert. Shekerbura pastries are always made in a crescent form, strongly resembling the moon, and are traditionally served during Novruz, an annual celebration welcoming spring and the renewal of nature. In cases where the pastry is not elaborately decorated, shekerbura is usually served dusted with powdered sugar. These traditional delicacies can be served freshly baked, warm, or cooled.

Shekarbura

Shio daifuku is a traditional confectionery which consists of chewy mochi shells filled with creamy or coarse anko red bean paste. Unlike other daifuku varieties, the red bean paste in shio daifuku is lightly salted, which results in an unusual combination of sweet and savory flavors. They are usually round, and occasionally whole black beans are incorporated in the mochi wrapper. These soft cakes are a staple at many specialized daifuku shops, but they can also be commonly found in many stores and supermarkets throughout the country.

Shio daifuku

Shir birinj, meaning milk and rice, is a simple, popular dessert enjoyed throughout Iran and Afghanistan. Traditionally, it was prepared only by cooking milk and rice, while today it commonly includes sugar. For the desired thickness and flavor, it is advised to use short grain rice and whole milk. Additional flavorings and toppings include rosewater, honey, jam, and fruit, various nuts such as pistachios and almonds, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon.

Shir birinj

Shirin chorek is a classic Azerbaijani sweet milk bread made with yeast, milk, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and turmeric powder. The turmeric gives it a rich yellow color and a subtle flavor that goes well with the sweetness of milk and sugar. The dough is traditionally shaped into a disk, then decorated with cross-hatching patterns and sprinkled with poppy seeds. In the past, shirin chorek used to be baked for holidays such as Ramadan and Novruz, but nowadays it is baked throughout the year. It is recommended to pair this sweet dessert bread with a cup of strong black tea on the side.

Shirin chorek

Saffron rice pudding known as sholeh zard is an ancient Iranian dessert that was once served only on special occasions. The rice is cooked in water and then enriched with saffron and sugar, while common additions include slivered nuts and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. Sholeh zard is typically served in individual-sized portions and comes garnished with ground cinnamon, slivered almonds, or pistachios.

Sholeh zard

A specialty of southeastern Pennsylvania, this gooey, dark pie is an interesting combination of a rich filling made with molasses, brown sugar, butter, and a crunchy, crumbly topping. There are two theories to its origin: one says that the filling was so sweet that flies had to be shooed away as it was left to cool down, and the other theory says that it was inspired by Shoofly Molasses, a product that was popular in Pennsylvania in the 1800s when pies by that name first appeared. Regardless of its origins, shoofly pie is extremely similar to the sweet British treacle tart, made since medieval days in Europe. In Pennsylvanian Dutch country, populated by Mennonites, Moravians, and Amish, the pie was a staple dessert in the wintertime, when fruit supplies were scarce, and the expensive eggs were better off in other dishes. Shoofly pie was traditionally consumed for breakfast as a nourishing food that gave one enough energy to last until lunch-time. Today, it's almost always a dessert, a sweet treat, and a great example of regional American food.

Shoofly Pie

This classic English shortbread biscuit takes its name after its place of origin, although different versions can be found in many other parts of England. While some use lemon, cinnamon, or even caraway seeds, the earliest recorded recipe goes back to 1621 when these brittle, buttery cookies were typically flavored with nutmeg and rosewater. Thanks to several literary references&mdash;including William Congreve's play The Way of the World in which he uses the expression as short as a Shrewsbury cake&mdash;by the end of the 18th century, these crispy English biscuits became known even beyond the borders of their homeland, and are especially popular in India.

Shrewsbury cakes

Shuku shuku are traditional coconut balls originating from Nigeria. This African dessert is usually made with a combination of sugar, egg yolks, flour, and desiccated coconut. The coconut is mixed with sugar and egg yolks in order to make a stiff dough. The dough is rolled into bite-sized balls and the balls are rolled in flour until fully coated. They're baked in the oven until golden, and shuku shuku is ready to be enjoyed, either warm or at room temperature. If desired, vanilla or nutmeg can be added to the coconut balls for extra flavor.

Shuku shuku

Myanmar

Shwe yin aye is a traditional cold dessert, meaning golden heart cooler, hinting at its refreshing nature. Sweet, creamy, and rich, this specialty is made by combining steamed sticky rice, sago or tapioca pearls, tapioca sticks, cendol jelly noodles (often flavored with pandan), agar-agar powder, sugar syrup, and chilled coconut milk. A slice of plain white bread (either whole or cut into quarters) is often added to the combination before being served with ice cubes or crushed ice. In Myanmar, shwe yin aye is commonly enjoyed as a refreshing summertime dessert, and it is especially popular during Thingyan (Water Festival). Street food vendors often sell this sweet treat, and it is also available at most Myanmar restaurants.