Studies showed that when we share food with other people, we experience stronger feelings of trust and cooperation, especially if at the same moment we experience strong positive emotions. As a result, a simple act of sharing food can lead to making social bonds between partners way stronger. In the previous post, we gave you some ideas on how to make pizza and improve your relationship with your partner. And today, let’s pay attention to sweets. Not in vain, it is said that consuming desserts increases the release of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for social bonding and closeness. So read below and pick the sweets for your next date.
Churros (Spain)
This popular Spanish dessert has already conquered many countries, especially in Latin America. The dough is very simple. It is made of flour, water, and salt, which is given a star shape and then deep-fried until crispy.
Churros is often flavored with cinnamon sugar, that’s why it has a delicious sweet and spicy taste. If you order it in a restaurant, the dish will often be served with chocolate sauce for dipping. Sometimes it can also come in different shares, such as long strips or bite-sized pieces. Though churros can be a nice dessert for a date. It is also a popular street food in Spain, so you can easily try it next time you plan a summer vacation.
Mochi (Japan)
The next cool dessert on our list is Mochi. It is a traditional Japanese dessert that is now popular all around the world. Mochi is a sweet rice cake that is cooked using glutinous rice. The rice is cooked until it becomes a sticky paste. Then it is shaped into small round balls.
To add some extra taste, Mochi is often filled with red bean paste, fresh fruit, ice cream, or even cheese. This dish is very popular on many Japanese holidays, including New Year. Its soft, creamy texture and rich taste make it an incredible dish that you will certainly want to try more.
Baklava (Turkey)
Baklava is a popular Middle Eastern dessert that is now found in Turkey and Greece cuisines. The origins of the dessert are not very clear. It comes from the Ottoman Empire and hence got its heritage in several modern cuisines of this region.
Baklava is made of layers of phyllo pastry, chopped nuts, and honey syrup. The pastry has a sweet and flaky texture. It is usually cut into small diamond-shaped pieces and served as a small dessert or snack.
The chopped nuts in baklava recipes usually vary. Most often the choice will be pistachios, walnuts, or almonds. The honey syrup is made with sugar, water, and honey, and is poured over the pastry layers to create a sweet and sticky texture. Baklava is often served at room temperature with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Chè (Vietnam)
Chè is a very tasty traditional Vietnamese dessert that is cooked by mixing sweetened coconut milk with a variety of ingredients such as beans, tapioca pearls, fruit, and jellies. The dish is usually served cold as a refreshing thing on hot days. This sweet thing is popular all over Vietnam and can also be found in Southeast Asian countries. What does it taste like? Well, you can find several variations of the dish depending on
There are many different types of chè and each of them has a unique taste that comes from its ingredients Here are some popular options:
- Chè Ba Màu contains green pandan jelly, red beans, and yellow mung beans in sweetened coconut milk.
- Chè Chuối is cooked from ripe bananas, tapioca pearls, and sweetened coconut milk.
- Chè Thái is actually a combination of colorful jellies, tropical fruits, and sweetened coconut milk.
- Chè Bắp, a dessert version that is made with sweet corn kernels, tapioca pearls, and sweetened coconut milk;
- Chè Trôi Nước is made by filling glutinous rice balls with sweet mung bean paste.
Pavlova (Australia)
Though this meringue-based dessert was first cooked in Australia, it got its name after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, which is why it sounds so strange. The dish usually consists of a crispy meringue with a topping of whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Egg whites are beaten until they become stiff and then mixed with sugar until the whole thing gets thick and glossy. Other two ingredients, such as cornstarch and vinegar, are added to the mixture so as to achieve this incredible texture of the meringue – crispy exterior and soft interior.
After baking and cooling, the base is topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, and passionfruit.
Pastel de Nata (Portugal)
This custard tart is a traditional sweet dish from Portuguese cuisine. The small pastry is crispy, flaky, and filled with egg custard cream. The cream is just a mix of eggs, sugar, milk, and flour boiled together until the texture gets soft and creamy.
Pastry bowls are filled with cream and slightly baked until they get brown. The dish is served with a bit of cinnamon and sugar as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.
