Thin phyllo sheets with nuts dispersed in them and soaked in sugar syrup, to the milder variety in the West that uses wheat and butter, there are umpteenth number of pastries popular in their respective countries. The ingredients barely vary, but their preparation does, and so do their toppings or fillings that make them a must-try when you visit their place of origin. Throw the best birthday celebration by bringing all these pastries for a special evening.
Flan pâtissier, also dubbed flan parisien, is a French custard tart that has a buttery pastry shell, cradling a velvety custard filling infused with vanilla essence. While a tad similar to the Portuguese pastel de nata or British custard tart, flan pâtissier stands apart with its richer flavour and flakier crust. Recipes may vary from patisserie to patisserie, but the custard's base is typically made with whole milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, and eggs, with vanilla. These days bakers substitute vanilla for flavours like chocolate, coconut, or seasonal fruits. Once baked, this tart is sliced and often enjoyed at the French ritual goûter for French schoolchildren.
One of the iconic Turkish pastries, Kandil simidi is a revered treat reserved solely for the sacred Kandil religious holiday. The dough is made by mixing butter, oil, yoghurt, eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt, that kneaded into a dough and meticulously shaped into rings. These golden-brown rings are then generously coated in sesame seeds before being baked. Throughout the five hallowed nights of the festival, the aroma of freshly baked pastry wafts through Turkish households and bakeries alike, which are also offered as gifts to loved ones.
This unique pastry tribute to Canada's iconic national animal, the beaver, and looks like mini-rectangular pizzas, resembling Beaver tails. It is made with whole wheat dough stretched thin and fried till golden and smothered with butter on which different toppings are added – from cinnamon-sugar with lemon juice, chocolate and hazelnut, or just pure maple syrup. They are served piping hot and once made as a means to use leftover dough, today these are a beloved national indulgence, meant to be eaten as you walk around town.
From the Turkish city of Erzurum comes a pastry dessert that is a combination of crisp, shredded kadayıf dough with a nut filling, typically chopped pistachios or walnuts. The dough is first flattened then stuffed with the nuts and shaped into petite rolls before being dipped in beaten eggs. Then they are fried until golden with a crunch, then they are doused in a lemony sugar syrup. The pastries are often served with a serving of kaymak, a kind of Turkish clotted cream.
Taiwan’s Taichung City boasts the suncake, or tai yang bing which is steeped in tradition dating back to the Qing dynasty era. This beloved Taiwanese pastry can be found in every bakery shop throughout the city. At first glance, the suncake appears unassuming – a round, flaky confection swaddled in tissue-thin layers of phyllo dough, but a bite into the pastry reveals a thick, gooey filling of buttery maltose paste that's sweeter than honey. Its surprising taste makes this pastry a coveted souvenir, often pre-packed in attractive gift boxes. These pastries taste amazing by themselves, but many relish suncakes with a cup of Chinese tea, soaking and mashing the pastry into a porridge-like dessert, or even dipping it into warm almond milk.
As the Şeker Bayramı or Eid al-Fitr festivities unfold, a distinct Turkish pastry is seen at the festivities – the kalburabastı. These little sweet morsels, which have flecked pineapple-like patterns, are made by being pressed against a sieve. It is made from a buttery dough to which semolina is added and scattered with walnuts. They are baked and then submerged in a fragrant lemon-sugar syrup. The name itself, derived from "kalbur" for sieve and "bas" meaning to press, hints at their unique texture.
The mouthwatering aroma of yeasted dough fried in hot oil is a constant companion through Thai streets, and one such fried delicacy is pa thong ko. These crunchy and puffy crullers get their chromosome-like twisted shape by intertwining strips of dough before being fried in hot oil. While the traditional form resembles a knot, newer versions might have other shapes like dinos and dragons. This classic Thai street food fritter makes for an irresistible breakfast treat, especially when eaten with condensed milk, Thai custard, or a steaming bowl of congee.