While many of us tend to associate the letter ‘Z’ with being at the end of the alphabet and not
knowing even one dessert starting with the letter, there are surprisingly tasty treats that buck
the trend by having names that begin with it. From zeppole to zabaglione, these lesser-known
‘Z’ desserts are worth a bite and your buck.
Whether light and airy or rich and indulgent, these sweet Z-starting delights can be found
around the globe, particularly in the Middle East to Italian which offers a range of flavours to
satisfy any craving. From Italian custards to Middle Eastern pastries, they prove the letter ‘Z’
has plenty of surprising culinary stars.
The light and airy zeppole is a classic Italian and Jewish pastry tradition. The fried dough treats
originate in Italy, where they remain a popular carnival and festival food. To make zeppole, a
yeast-leavened dough is piped or dropped into hot oil, where it puffs up into an airy, doughnut-
like shape. Once golden brown, the zeppole is drained and tossed in powdered sugar or
cinnamon sugar to add a touch of sweetness. Some versions are filled with pastry cream or jam
for an extra indulgent treat.
Straight from Italy, Zabaglione belongs to the custard family that uses yolks as a thickening
agent. These are locally made and in Italy, they use something called the “crema pasticciera”
hollandaise sauce and mayonnaise. The technique is of the essence here when making this
dessert as Zabaglione, as the liquids need to be slowly added to egg yolks. Eggs tend to cook
with anything too hot being introduced to it and the hooter version of this custard, Zabione,
needs more care with their hotter liquids. It's made by whisking the egg, sugar and wine
constantly and with a firm hand until it starts to resemble more of a mousse than a custard.
Zalabia is a sweet treat beloved across the Middle East, its funnel-shaped pastries start with a
yeast-risen dough that is deep-fried to a golden brown crispness. This dessert is a distant cousin
of our own beloved Jalebi. Still warm from the oil, zalabia are dunked into a honey-rose water
syrup that imbues them with floral sweetness. As the syrup soaks in, the zalabia softens a bit,
while retaining its crispy exterior. Rose water perfumes the dessert reminding one of Arabic
coffeehouses and pastries. It’s hardly a surprise that Zalabia is a staple at celebrations like Eid
al-Fitr, weddings, and many community festivities in the Arab-dominated countries and homes.
This one’s a classic trifle dessert from Italy that translates to “English Soup”. It is made by
soaking ladyfinger biscuits in a rum or Marsala wine-flavoured custard (the same ladyfingers
used in tiramisu). The ladyfingers are then layered with a rich custard, usually vanilla in a glass bowl. The layers are repeated to fill up the trifle glass or bowl. Once the layers are complete,
the dessert is topped with a layer of whipped cream. The word “zuppa” is a derivate from
“inzuppare” meaning “to dunk”, a reference to the wine or rum-soaked lady fingers or the poor
man's version of lady-fingers, sponge cake.
Zebra Cake is technically not a traditional dessert, as it's called such a name, for its eye-catching
black-and-white stripes. Composed of chocolate cake layers separated by white frosting, it gets
its signature look from the contrasting colours that resemble a zebra's coat. It’s not marbling, in
fact, it's made with two different batters, one yellow and one chocolate. Both are poured in
such a way, that it ends up creating the alternating stripes seen on the namesake animal. Boxed
cake mixes popularized the Zebra Cake in the US in the 1960s, but some bakeries still make
them from scratch today.
Another Italian favourite, these are nothing but tart-like fried dough pastries that Italians enjoy
on St. Joseph's Day, Jesus’ earth father, as a sign of celebration. It is the same Zeppole that is
mentioned before, but going by a different name thanks to the cultural significance it holds.
Joseph was a carpenter and it is said zeppole might have come from the word “zeppa” which
means a piece of wooden wedge, used to adjust furniture. Another theory says this sweet was
part of the feast for Joseph when people prayed to him for rain to relieve them of the drought.