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Dessert Categories Cake Chocolate Cookes Frozen Dessert Pastries Pudding Miscellaneous Dessert
Happy Dessert Moment Birthday Christmas St. Valentine’s Day Wedding
Dessert Comfort
Dessert Places
Break-up
Sweet Memory in U.K
Period
Bests in Bristol
Funeral
Interview Patisserie Leila UWE The Bridge Tea Rooms
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Introduction
Recently I have read a Chinese book named “Dessert house”, in which the phenomenon of more and more dessert houses emerging in Hong Kong has briefly been depicted in a sentimental way. “Maybe people’s craving for sweetness is due to the lack of it, and the reason why a city craves for sweetness is perhaps that everyone does not find enough sweetness in it.” At that point, sweetness is not merely representing a physical sense of taste, but also symbolizing the feeling of being loved, cared for and secure. But why do we consider sweetness as a treat? Does this feeling come from our genetic traits, or has it been nurtured since we were kids? In this book, these questions will be examined to let us understand more of why we need or even love desserts. Hope you enjoy it.
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{ DESSERT NEED }
Since we were born, we cannot resist sweetness You may probably notice that no child hates sweet treats. They cry, scream and do whatever they can to get themselves a little sweetmeat. As a matter of fact, all infants naturally prefer sweet foods to those that are bitter and sour. This is totally reasonable from a biological viewpoint — the food that we put into our bodies is actually reduced into glucose (a simple sugar) in the end. Nonetheless, the scientists tell us that the sweet-preference instinct can actually be traced back to evolutionary theory-in the wild, foods that high in sugar are normally safe to eat while the bitter ones are toxic. These points of view illuminate why children can never get enough of the flavor. However, the longing for sweetness seems to be drop off once we grow up. Researchers have found that adults cannot stand as much sweet flavor as children.
What make humans human When the sweetness becomes not a very biological or physical concern to us, why do we still crave for desserts sometimes? This is a tricky question — but we can relate it to the discussion of the function of Arts. The painting of “Mona Lisa” does not have an actual function at all, but people are still obsessed with it, why? Because we are not a physical being that merely consists of water, oxygen and sugar. One of the most precious features of human beings is that we have the ability to love and appreciate all the beautiful things in the world. No doubt, Dessert is one of those things. We look at it, taste it, and enjoy its delights. Its appearance, taste; the beautiful plates and knives and forks that are used for eating it, and the place where we have it — all together give us bliss, a reason for living. The famed French pastry chef Antonin Careme declared patisserie a branch of architecture. Not only because the work of a pastry chef requires high technique, but also patisserie challenges the chef’s innovation and aesthetic sense. Also it is so true that dessert should be seen as beautiful architecture since it uses so many amazing ingredients from the planet and is constructed and depicted by human beings.
Dessert Need
We don’t require cream puffs and cupcakes in the same way we do bread and salt. But we do need them, as much as we need “The Blue Danube” and “Hey Jude”. — Michael Krondl, “Sweet invention: a history of dessert”
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{ HOW TO DEFINE DESSERT }
Terminology The word “dessert” originated from the French word desservir “to clean the table” and the negative of the Latin word servire. It is a typically sweet course that concludes a meal. The course usually consists of sweet foods, but may include other items.The term is most commonly used in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand the United Kingdom, Ireland and some other Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong, and India. “Sweets” or “Afters” or, informally, “pudding” are alternative terms that may also be used in the United States and other places.
Categories There are a wide variety of desserts in western cultures including cakes, chocolates, cookies, frozen desserts, pastries, pies, puddings, & miscellaneous desserts.
Dessert Categories
/Cakes/ The linguistic derivation of the word “cake” is uncertain. Some evidences assume it originates from the Old Norse word “kaka”. Others claim that it is a Latin loan word via Ancient British or Anglo-Saxon. A cake is usually a round, flat baked food. Its ancestors include bread and porridge. In fact, the term “cake” was historically more likely used to describe what we called “bread” today. Even nowadays, the dividing line between cake and bread and all its relatives is very shaky. There have been two high-profile court battles in recent years over the argument of defining a “cake”.
McVitis’s Jaffa Cakes
M&S’s Teacake
One of them was launched by McVitie’s for their product – Jaffa Cakes. The manufacturer claimed that their chocolate-coated orange-centred confections were cakes and not biscuits, and therefore should not be liable for VAT as the UK Inland Revenue said. The company won their case, basing their claim on the culinary principle that the crucial difference between biscuits and cakes is that cakes dry as they stale and biscuits soften.
M&S’s tea cake is combined with marshmallow, chocolate and a biscuit base. Therefore, it is also be judged that if it is a “cake” or not. It has similar case with the McVitis’s Jaffa Cakes and with the same result: M&S won the case and therefore M&S’s teacake is offically the “cake”.
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/Chocolate/ The word “Chocolate” entered the English language from Spanish, but there is no supporting material about how it came into Spanish. The most cited explanation is that it derived from the word chocoltl in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, in which xocoltl means ‘sour’ or ‘bitter’, and ātl means ‘water’ or ‘drink’. Another explanation is that it came from the Yucatec Mayan word “chokol” meaning ‘hot’, and the Nahuatl “atl” meaning ‘water’. More recently, it is suggested that it is derived from another Nahuatl term, “chicolatl” from eastern Nahuatl, meaning “beaten drink”.
A holy drink rather than a solid commodity From the derivations of the term, you may notice that they all mean a liquid form rather than a solid one. Of course, chocolate as a drink still exists nowadays, but in the past, it was more usually served as a drink. Mayans used chocolate for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life. The Maya women roasted and ground the cacao beans and added some spices which may have included vanilla, chilli peppers and flower flavourings. Then they made it into a paste which can be diluted to form a drink. The original chocolate, whether hot or cold, was a frothy, bitter drink. Also, before serving it, the women – it was
always women – would pour it from one vessel to another in order to form a foam floating on the top. Rather than drinking chocolate hot like what Mayans loved to, the Aztecs preferred it to be cold. They believed that chocolate was a luxury that was shared by the gods. The cacao beans were also used as a currency at that time. That’s why some fake cacao beans from the first centuries have been found.
Planation Of Cacao tree / Within twenty degrees of the equator / Below about 300 m in altitude / Requires shade which must be provided by taller trees / Require high humidity and lots of sunlight
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The Aztecs were not able to grow cacao themselves as their home in the Mexican highlands was unsuitable for it, so chocolate was a luxury that was imported into the empire. Those who lived in areas ruled by the Aztecs were required to offer a cacao seeds in payment of the tax they deemed “tribute� The Aztecs also used a system for using cacao beans as currency, for example, one turkey cost one hundred cacao beans and one fresh avocado was worth three beans.
Dessert Categories
{ T Y P E S O F C H O C O L AT E }
From Bitter to Sweet There are many different types of chocolates ranging from bitter to sweet, its flavour mainly depends on how much cocoa, milk and sugar used.
White chocolate
Milk chocolate
It gets its name from the cocoa butter it contains, but does not contain chocolate liquor or any other cocoa products. It has no pronounced chocolate taste, but commonly tastes like vanilla or other added flavorings. By law, white chocolate must contain a minimum 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and a maximum of 55% sugar.
In addition to containing cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, milk chocolate contains either condensed milk or dry milk solids. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor, 3.39% butterfat, and 12% milk solids. It is typically much sweeter than dark chocolate, and have a lighter color and a less pronounced chocolate taste.
Sweet dark chocolate
Semi-sweet chocolate
It is “dark chocolate” in the sense that it does not contain milk solids, but it still has a high percentage of sugar and is much sweeter than other types of dark chocolate. Many brands of sweet dark chocolate have only 20-40% cocoa solids.
This is primarily an American term, popularized by Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa solids, and is generally assumed to be darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter than bittersweet.
Bittersweet chocolate
Dark chocolate
Chocolate, as defined by the FDA, that contains at least 35% cocoa solids. Most bittersweet bars contain at least 50% chocolate liquor, with some bars pushing 70-80% chocolate liquor. This chocolate often has a deeper, more bitter flavor than sweet dark or semi-sweet bars. However, the amount of sugar in the chocolate is not regulated, so one manufacturer’s “bittersweet” bar may taste sweeter than another’s “semi-sweet” bar.
Chocolate that contains chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and leicithin. There are no milk solids added in dark chocolate. The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30% (sweet dark) to 70- 80% for extremely dark bars. Bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate also fall into the “dark chocolate” category.
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is like a box of
chocolates, you
never know what you’re going to get.
—Forrest Gump in “Forrest Gump” (1994)
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{ H E A L T H V. S C H O C O L A T E }
Positive / Cocoa or dark chocolate may positively affect the circulatory system. / Several studies have suggested that eating chocolate can help reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular problems and also reduce blood pressure in both overweight and normal adults. / Chocolate may boost cognitive abilities. / Dark chocolate may lower cholesterol levels in adults. / According to one study, chocolate consumption correlates with lower body mass index. / Other possible effects under basic research include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventorand antidiarrhoeal activities. / Cocoa beans contain a large amount of chemicals called flavonoids. Some scientists believe that these flavonoids can be used to create natural supplements to ease diarrhea symptoms. Dark chocolate contains high concentrations of cocoa and may offer mild relief.
Negative / Chocolate is believed to cause heartburn because of one of its constituents, theobromine. / Raw chocolate is high in cocoa butter, a fat. Manufacturers may add other fats, sugars, and milk as well, all of which increase the caloric content of chocolate. / Chocolate and cocoa contain moderate to high amounts of oxalate, which can cause some health concerns particularly for individuals at risk for kidney stones. / Chocolate absorbs lead from the environment during production, and there is a slight concern of mild lead poisoning for some types of chocolate. / Research on elderly people showed chocolate might cause osteoporosis.
Theobromine poisoning or chocolate poisoning is an overdose reaction to the alkaloid theobromine, found in chocolate, tea, cola beverages, açaà berries, and some other foods. The most common victims of theobromine poisoning are dogs, for which it can be fatal. The toxic dose for cats is even lower than for dogs. However, cats are less prone to eating chocolate since they are unable to taste sweetness. Theobromine is less toxic to rats, mice, and humans.
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/Cookies/ In the United States and Canada a cookie is a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing flour, eggs, sugar, and either butter or cooking oil, and often including ingredients such as raisins, oats, or chocolate chips. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, including the United Kingdom, the most common word for this type of treat is biscuit and the term cookie is often used to describe only certain types of biscuits. However, in many regions both terms are used. Its American name derives from the Dutch word koekje or (informal) koekie which means little cake.
Dessert Categories
Cookie-like hard wafers have existed for as long as baking is documented, in part because they deal with travel very well, but they were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern standards. Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors. With global travel becoming widespread at that time, cookies made a natural travel companion, a modernized equivalent of the travel cakes used throughout history. One of the most popular early cookies, which traveled especially well and became known on every continent by similar names, was the jumble, a relatively hard cookie made largely from nuts, sweetener, and water.
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Bar cookies consist of batter or other ingredients that are poured or pressed into a pan (sometimes in multiple layers) and cut into cookie-sized pieces after baking. In British English, bar cookies are known as “tray bakes”. Examples include brownies, fruit squares, and bars such as date squares.
Drop cookies
are made from a relatively soft dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. During baking, the mounds of dough spread and flatten. Chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and rock cakes are popular examples of drop cookies. In the UK, the term “cookie” often refers only to this particular type of product.
Dessert Categories
Filled cookies are made from a rolled cookie dough filled with a fruit or confectionery filling before baking. Hamantash are a filled cookie.
Molded cookies are also made from a stiffer dough that is molded into balls or cookie shapes by hand before baking. Snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies are examples of molded cookies.
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No-bake cookies are made by mixing a filler, such as cereal or nuts, into a melted confectionery binder, shaping into cookies or bars, and allowing to cool or harden. Oatmeal clusters and Rum balls are no-bake cookies.
Pressed cookies are made from a soft dough that is extruded from a cookie press into various decorative shapes before baking. Spritzgeb채ck are an example of a pressed cookie.
Dessert Categories
Refrigerator cookies (also known as icebox cookies) are made from a stiff dough that is refrigerated to become even stiffer. The dough is typically shaped into cylinders which are sliced into round cookies before baking. Pinwheel cookies is representative.
Rolled cookies are made from a stiffer dough that is rolled out and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Gingerbread men are an example.
Sandwich cookies are rolled or pressed cookies that are assembled as a sandwich with a sweet filling. Fillings include marshmallow, jam, and icing. The Oreo cookie, made of two chocolate cookies with a vanilla icing filling, is an example.
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/Frozen Desserts/ Frozen dessert is the generic name for desserts made by freezing liquids, semi-solids, and sometimes even solids. They may be based on flavored water (shave ice, sorbet, snow cones, etc.), on fruit purĂŠes (such as sorbet), on milk and cream (most ice creams), on custard (frozen custard and some ice creams), on mousse (semifreddo), and others.
Frozen Custard is a type of ice cream that uses eggs or egg yolks to give it a richer and creamier texture.
Dessert Categories
Gelato is an Italian frozen dessert that is similar to ice cream, but it has a lower fat content and less air churned into than ice cream. This gives it a rich, dense texture.
Granita is a shaved ice frozen dessert. They have the consistency of coarse sand and are easy to make. Lemon and coffee are both popular flavors.
Ice Cream Ice cream is one of the most basic frozen desserts. It is made with milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings that are churned to freeze the mixture
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Ice Cream Bombe An ice cream bombe is made of three or more layers of ice cream or sorbet, molded into a dome shape. The bombe is sliced like a pie to serve, so that you can see all the different layers.
Ice Pops Most people know ice pops because of their experience with Popsicles速 as a child. These treats are typically made with fruit juice that is frozen onto a stick. You can also purchase reusable plastic ice pop molds, so you can make great treats on a regular basis.
Molded Desserts Molded desserts are frozen desserts that use a pan or mold to shape them into a particular form. Many molded desserts are common treats, like ice cream cakes and pies.
Dessert Categories
Semifreddo Semifreddo means “half-frozen� and is a frozen dessert that you can make without any special equipment. It uses a custard base mixed with whipped cream to create a mousse that is frozen and sliced.
Sherbet Sherbet is similar to sorbet, but it has an element of dairy to give it a creamier finished texture. It is made with fruit juice, sugar, and either milk or cream as the basic ingredients.
Sorbet Sorbet is a fruit-based frozen dessert. It is typically made with fruit juice or puree, water and sugar that are churned like ice cream.
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/Pastries/ Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour,sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder, and eggs. Small tarts and other sweet baked products are called “pastries.� Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, quiches and pasties.
Shortcrust pastry Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche or pie. It does not puff up during baking because it usually contains no leavening agent. It is possible to make shortcrust pastry with
self-raising flour, however. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie.
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Flaky pastry Flaky pastry is a simple pastry that expands when cooked due to the number of layers. It bakes into a crisp, buttery pastry.
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Puff pastry Puff pastry has many layers that cause it to expand or “puff� when baked. Puff pastry is made using flour, butter, salt, and water. The pastry rises up due to the water and fats expanding as they turn into steam upon heating.
Dessert Categories
Choux pastry Choux pastry is a very light pastry that is often filled with cream. Unlike other types of pastry, choux is in fact closer to a dough before being cooked which gives it the ability to be piped into various shapes such as the ĂŠclair and profiterole.
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/Pudding/ The word pudding is believed to come from the French boudin, originally from the Latin botellus, meaning “small sausage�, referring to encased meats used in Medieval European puddings.
Creamy pudding The second and newer type of pudding consists of sugar, milk, and a thickening agent such ascornstarch, gelatin, eggs, rice or tapioca to create a sweet, creamy dessert. These puddings are made either by simmering on top of the stove in a saucepan or double boiler or by baking in an oven, often in abain-marie. These puddings are easily scorched on the fire, which is why a double boiler is often used;microwave ovens are also now often used to avoid this problem and to reduce stirring. Creamy puddings are typically served chilled, but a few, such as zabaglione and rice pudding, may be served warm. Instant puddings do not require boiling and can therefore be prepared more quickly. This pudding terminology is common in North America and some European countries such as the Netherlands, whilst in Britain eggthickened puddings are considered custards and starch-thickened puddings called blancmange.
Dessert Categories
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/Miscellaneous Desserts/ Many desserts cannot be categorized such as cheesecake. Though cheesecake is a similar to a custard, it is named “cake�. Many desserts can span the categories and several don’t fit in a category at all.
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{ HAPPY MOMENT } There are always desserts when we are experiencing some excited, happy or touching moment. Those desserts become part of our memory, merge perfectly into our life.
/BIRTHDAY/ Birthday Cake The cake, or sometimes a pastry or dessert, is served to a person on his or her birthday. In contemporary Western cultures, the birthday person blows out the candles on the cake after those celebrating have sung the birthday song. In the 15th century, bakeries in Germany conceived the idea of marketing one-layer cakes for customers’ birthdays as well as for only their weddings, and thus the modern birthday cake was born. During the 17th century, the birthday cake took on more or less its contemporary form. However, these elaborate cakes, which possessed many aspects of contemporary cakes (such as multiple layers, icing, and decorations), were only available to the very wealthy. Birthday cakes became more and more proletarianized as a result of the industrial revolution, as materials and tools became more advanced and more accessible. The service of a birthday cake is often preceded by the singing of “Happy Birthday to You” in English speaking countries, or an equivalent birthday song in the appropriate language of that country. In fact, the phrase “Happy Birthday” did not appear on birthday cakes until the song “Happy Birthday to You” was popularized in the early 1900s.
Happy Dessert Moment
Though the exact origins and significances of the candle blowing ritual and candles themselves are unknown, there are multiple theories as to the history of placing candles on cakes.
Greek To honor the goddess’s birth on the sixth day of every lunar month, “cakes brought to the temple of Artemis were adorned with candles to make them glow like the moon.”
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Pagan The use of fire in ritual is ancient. “Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers [candles] and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune.
Happy Dessert Moment
Swiss A birthday-cake must have lighted candles arranged around it, one candle for each year of life. Before the cake is eaten, the person whose birthday it is should blow out the candles one after another.�
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German There is evidence of the use of candles on cakes at birthday celebrations in 18th Century Germany. This version of the tradition can be traced to Kinderfest (Kinder is the German word for ‘children’), a birthday celebration for children. This tradition and the birthday tradition we follow today mirror each other in the use of candles and cakes. German children were taken to something similar to an auditorium, there they were free to celebrate another year in an atmosphere where the Germans believed the adults might protect the children from the evil spirits attempting to steal innocent souls. If the candles acted as protection against evil spirits requires citation. In pagan culture it was believed evil spirits visited people on their birthdays. To protect the person having birthday from the evil effect, people used to surround him and make merry. A lot of noise used to be created in such parties to scare away the evil spirits.
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Birthday desserts cultural variations
China The sou bao, a lotus-paste-filled bun made of wheat flour and shaped and colored to resemble a peach. Rather than serving one large pastry, each guest is served their own small sou bao.
Western Russia Birthday children are served fruit pies with a birthday greetings carved into the crusts
Nederland Dutch birthday pastries are fruit tarts topped with whipped cream.
Sweden The Swedish birthday cake is made like a pound cake and is topped with marzipan and decorated with the national flag.
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/CHRISTMAS/
Traditional Christmas Cake Christmas cakes are beautifully decorated cakes and make a great center piece on Christmas. Christmas cake actually started out as plum porriage. Plum Porriage was an English tradition that was used to line their stomachs on Christmas Eve after a day of fasting. It eventually developed into a cake when butter wheat flour and eggs were added.
Happy Dessert Moment
Gingerbread House The Gingerbread House is a fun holiday recipe that makes a dessert straight out of a fairy tale. The tradition of holiday gingerbread houses was taken from the famous German fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel. The story is told about two poor children that are abandoned by their parents and left in the woods. The magic begins to happen when they discover a house made of bread, and candies.
The Yule Log The Yule Log is an age old Christmas tradition dating back to the XIIth Century. France and Italy were the European countries that were notated for their Yule Log traditions. The traditional Yule Log custom was preformed on Christmas Eve. A Freshly chopped piece of wood would be brought into the house and sprinkled with salt, oil and mulled wine. Today The Yule Log is a traditional Christmas pastry, decorated like a log, with holly leaves.
Mince Pie A small British fruit-based mincemeat sweet pie. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices.
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/Saint Valentine’s Day/ Love Chocolate in Japan There are plenty of desserts for the Day. However, in Japan, chocolate is definitely the dominant one, it is only the Japanese women who give chocolates to men but not the other way round. This is because Japanese females are shy, and giving out chocolate is their way to say “I love you”. There are two types of chocolate that Japanese females will give out on Valentine’s Day–one for friend and the other for the lover.
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Giri-choko (obligation chocolate) Japanese women give chocolates not only to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day. “Giri-choko” is the chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude. The concept of “giri” is very Japanese. It is a mutual obligation that the Japanese follow when dealing with other people. If someone does you a favor, then you feel obligated to do something for that person.
Giri-choko (obligation chocolate) Honmei Choco in Japan is chocolate given by women on Valentine’s day to men whom the giver has romantic feelings for. This is often given to boyfriends, prospective boyfriends, and husbands. Honmei chocolate is usually higher-quality and more expensive than giri choco. The word “Honmei” originates from horse racing and refers to the favored horse in that race.
White Day Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called “White Day” (March 14th), also a Japanese creation. On White Day, the reverse happens: men who received a honmei-choco or giri-choco, on Valentine’s Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewelry, white chocolate, whitelingerie, and marshmallows. Sometimes the term literally, sanbai gaesh, (triple the return) is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the worth of the Valentine’s gift.
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/Wedding/ A wedding cake is the traditional cake served at wedding receptions following dinner. In some parts of England, the wedding cake is served at a wedding breakfast, on the morning following theceremony. In modern Western culture, the cake is usually on display and served to guests at the reception. Traditionally, wedding cakes were made to bring good luck to all guests and the couple. Modernly however, they are more of a centerpiece to the wedding and are not always even served to the guests. Some cakes are built with only a single edible tier for the bride and groom to share. The contemporary wedding cake has grown out of many traditions. One of the first traditions began in Ancient Rome where bread was broken over the bride’s head to bring good fortune to the couple. In Medieval Englandcakes were stacked as high as possible for the bride
Happy Dessert Moment
and groom to kiss over, if they successfully kissed over the stack they were guaranteed a prosperous life together. From this the Croquembouche was created. The myth behind this cake tells that a Pastry chef, visiting Medieval England, witnessed their tradition of piling sweet rolls between the bride and groom which they would attempt to kiss over without knocking them all down. The pastry chef then went back to France and piled sweet rolls up into a tower to make the first Croquembouche. The modern croquembouche is still very popular in France however it is common to place the croquembouche tower on a bed of cake and make it one of the top tiers of the wedding cake. This traditional French wedding cake is built from Profiteroles and given a halo of spun sugar.
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/Break-up/ If you ask people what would they do to comfort themselves for breaking-up with their lovers, most of them would answer you that they will get themselves some sweet treats. Lars Roxas, a blogger even suggests 7 Desserts to Eat for Every Kind of Break-Up.
1. He or She had to Move Away You Should Eat: Pavlova. It’s a meringue-like dessert that’s sweet but light. People usually decorate it with various kinds of soft fruit and generous amounts of whipped cream spread all-over. Because: This dessert was named after Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova (of course). She was busy touring the world when, during her New Zealand and Australian stops, a local chef decided to name his new dessert after her. That’s three countries right off the bat. While meringue is fairly common here in the Philippines, Pavlova is foreign enough to hit all the tender parts of your soul that’s still stinging from the break-up.
Dessert Comfort
Also, the Pavlova’s solid but fragile outer shell (which hides a deceptively soft and marshmallow-like interior) closely resembles the state of your emotions on that day you tearfully said your goodbyes at the airport (or the bus terminal, or the pier, or the train station). A part of you was half-hoping for a dramatic run-back-to-me scene, like in every romantic comedy ever, but it didn’t happen.
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Dessert Comfort
2. You Feel You Two have Stopped Growing as a Couple You Should Eat: Ice Candy. Get the cheap kind you used to buy as a kid, the ones made from powdered orange or grape juice that somebody just poured into a small plastic tube-bag and threw in the freezer. Remember, the stickier it makes your hand after, the better. Because: Let’s be honest here and cut through the crap. Saying “there’s no growth” is just code for “I don’t love/like you anymore.” But nope, people are too chicken to just say it like that.Instead, like a kid who just made a mess but is too afraid to admit it to his or her parents, they make up all sorts of stories in order to justify breaking all the nowbroken stuff.
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Dessert Comfort
3. They’re Gay You Should Eat: Rainbow cakes are like the ninjas of the patisserie world. They look pretty plain from the outside. Not bad, of course, just simple and without frills. Straightforward, in other words. But then, you bite into one, and you discover the inside is made from ground up Power Rangers. It’s a totally unexpectedw explosion of fabulous colors. Because: Normally you shouldn’t be too sad about you’re partner turning out to be gay. If you really love them, a part of you should be happy that you played a part in helping them accept who they truly are. In a way, you’re not losing a lover, but gaining a best friend, someone who’ll go shopping with you and will love you enough to tell you about potentially disastrous purchase decisions. They’ll be the only ones honest enough to tell you that those trendy deconstructed shirts (with holes and rips all over) that you want to buy is probably a bad idea for someone whose figure is perpetually afraid of drowning.
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Dessert Comfort
4. Of Parental Disapproval You Should Eat: Fruitcake. Parental disapproval (from either party) can take several forms. They might think you’re too wild, too dumb, too poor, too rich, too ugly, too young, too old, and a million other too’s for their little baby. Whatever negative adjective you’ve been saddled with, trust me, eating copious amounts of fruitcake is the way to go. Because: Anyone who liked fruitcake who wasn’t a mom or a dad. Only parents are even capable of enjoying it; it’s coded in their DNA.Clearly, eating (and liking) fruitcake is an undeniable sign of maturity, levelheadedness, and all the other things parents are always talking about. While your significant other might be gone forever, at least you can prove to yourself that your (or his) parents were wrong about your relationship.
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Dessert Comfort
5. Of the Great Wall of China You Should Eat: Halo-halo. Lots and lots of halo-halo. Because: As the seven (so far) Mano Po movies prove, this specific kind of discrimination, that’s part racial and partsocioeconomic, still continues to exist today. Halo-halo is particularly suited to comforting those who’ve failed to scale the Great Wall. It’s delicious but also quite effective salving the bruises to your heart and personal dignity. No matter what a few narrow minded people might believe, the Halo-halo only serves to reaffirm that melting pots are a good thing. Or you could just eat ice cream with chopsticks. “Wait, Lars,” you protest. “Ice cream with chopsticks? That’s stupid.” Exactly.
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Dessert Comfort
6. They Want to Become a Priest You Should Eat: Better Than Sex, a type of chocolate cake that’s made extra decadent and sexy by being soaked and saturated with condensed milk and caramel. Because: Here’s what you do, first bring a few slices to your (former) lover and invite him to eat it with you. Share. It’s okay, let him enjoy himself. While he’s savoring the rich chococaramel orgy happening in his mouth, his fingers sticky from the random drips of milk and caramel that would fall every time he takes a bite, casually mention how wrong the cake’s name is. Then, you take out the Better Than Sex cupcakes and start eating them two at the same time in front of the poor dude.
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7. They Cheated on You You Should Eat: A big-ass ice cream cake. One so big it requires actual engineering knowledge to construct, with multiple tiers, and levels, and enough frosting to build a winter wonderland in your kitchen if you wished to. Because: It’s too big to eat by yourself, so go call up your closest friends to eat it with you. Their love and support are crucial at this point in your life. Have a sleep over; you’re already in your pajamas after all. You can all spend the night together watching scary movies, ordering bagnet, and badmouthing your ex. Feeling better afterwards is mandatory, the giggly slow-motion pillow fights in skimpy sleeping wear is optional.
Dessert Comfort
{ BONUS } You Cheated on Him/Her You Should Eat: Dunkin Donuts’ classic choco-butternut donut. Because: You know that special mixture of regret, shame, pain, and disillusionment you got the first time you tried to buy the classic choco-butternut donut and the lady in the purple and orange shirt said they’ve been phased out? That’s sort of what your ex felt when he found out about what you were doing with your officemate, only around ten million times worse. Hurts don’t it?
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/Funeral/ Funerals are time to grieve the loss of a loved one. They are also an opportunity to celebrate a life well-lived, and to reconnect with old friends and family members. Guests at funerals typically bring a potluck-style dish with them to share with others. The desserts you bring to a funeral should be simple and comfort-oriented. Bereaved individuals do not want dessert items that require a lot of prep-work or include complicated storage and serving instructions. The most common funeral desserts including funeral cake, brownies, cookies and bars.
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/Period/ Sweet cravings during PMS Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. PMS symptoms occur a week or two before women’s period and usually go away after the period starts. The causes of PMS are not clear and changing hormone levels during women menstrual cycle might play a role. Many women who complain of PMS describe symptoms such as tension, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, bloating, breast tenderness and various food cravings especially for sweets.
Initial Need Of Dessert Scientists and medical professionals don’t completely understand the causes for PMS and the cravings that go along with it yet. The general consent is that hormones (progesterone, estrogen and testosterone) are involved as is the brain chemical, serotonin
Dessert Comfort
The fact is that cravings amplify during the two weeks prior to a woman’s period probably because fluctuating estrogen levels have an effect on brain chemistry and this in turn makes many women crave foods mostly high incalories, fats, sugars and salt. But overeating these foods will only make PMS symptoms worse because when eating them, blood sugar fluctuates and it is known that controlling blood sugar is a crucial step in controlling symptoms of PMS.
Chocolate The Most Craved Food / The taste of chocolate on the tongue is likely to release endorphins in the brain to produce a pleasurable feeling / Sugar in chocolate may raise serotonin levels & soothe a gloomy mood & relax you / The aroma of chocolate may affect brain chemistry / Have a chocolate treat whenever you like; remember to have it in moderation as part of a healthy diet
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Interviewee Kuafiue Evefueca, Waitress in Patisserie Leila 12 March 2014 Patisserie Leila, Bristol
Interview
Where are you from?
Lativia. When did you come to U.K?
4 to 5 years ago. How long have you been working in Patisserie Leila?
Around 1 to 2 years. Why do you want to work here?
Hmm‌.as you can see, desserts in here looks really good. When I passed by this shop, I was attracted by those cute desserts and then came in to interview for the job. Don’t you think it is happy to be surrounded by the nice presented little cakes and sweet smell all the time? What job had you done before working here?
A coffee shop. Have you made desserts before?
Not really. What dessert do you like the most?
All kinds of sweet pies. Do you have any speical memories with desserts?
Hmmm...I used to have desserts with my family and boyfriend. We always have good time when having desserts together.
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Interview
Do you know any interesting dessert history?
No. What is the busiest working time in here during the day?
Morning to mid-afternoon. In the morning, a lot of people love to come here to buy take-away breakfast. Tea time is busy as well. What do you think about dessert? Which is the special point of dessert?
Dessert can boost people’s mood. It is also all about “balance” – a good dessert cannot be only delicious or good-looking, it has to be BOTH delicious and good-looking. The flavor is about to balance the taste of different ingredients too. Thanks for your help.
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Interviewee Rihanna, Girl who selling little desserts in UWE campus 12 March 2014 Bower Ashton, Bristol
Interview
Are you a UWE student?
Yes. What are you studying in UWE?
I am a 3rd year photography student. Why are you selling desserts here?
We are raising funds for the graduate show. Did you make these desserts by yourself?
Yes. My classmates and I made them together. Where did you learn to make them?
From my grandma, mum and TV show. What was the first dessert that you had made in your life?
Cookies baking. When did you make it?
I don’t remember how old were I exactly‌I just remember that I was a child, yes, my granny made it with me when I was a child. Do you have any special memories associated with desserts?
Yes, my grandma always makes desserts with me since I was a child. We always bake apple and apricot pie together.
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How often would you eat dessert?
Normally once a week, usually on Sunday. Why would you like to have dessert on Sunday?
I like to have afternoon tea on Sun, it is like giving a treat to myself. Do you know any interesting information about dessert?
The naming of “banoffee pie”…? Do you know that “banoffee” is officially derived from the words of “banana” and “toffee”? Please list out five of desserts that come to your mind now.
1. Sticky Toffee Pudding 2. Banana Bread 3. Ice-Cream 4. Pavlova 5. Chocolate Torte
Interview
Little cakes that bought from Rihanna, which are very yummy!
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Interview
Background Information
Double winner of The Tea Guild’s Top UK Tea Place and the Home of West Country Afternoon Teas. Judged as ‘near perfect’ and awarded The UK’s Top Tea Place by the prestigious UK Tea Guild The Bridge Tea Rooms offers the very best in traditionally British Afternoon Teas, lunches and light meals throughout the day. One of Britain’s Great Tea Rooms
The afternoon ritual of serving tea has been developed to a fine art here, and is so accomplished that the Bridge Tea Rooms has been recognized as excellent by the prestigious UK Tea Guild for many years. Delicate bone china, the finest leaf teas, and friendly staff in Victorian costumes serving home-made cakes, pastries and sandwiches. Housed in a former blacksmith’s cottage dating from 1502, the Bridge Tea Rooms positively oozes atmosphere, and the classical music playing gently in the background sets a tranquil tone.
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Interviewee Waitress in the tea room 06 April 2014 The Bridge Tea Rooms, Bradford on Avon
Interview
Hello, I am a UWE student who is doing a project about desserts. Would you mind to tell me that where are your desserts from?
All food is homemade by our chef. How does she decide what desserts to make everyday?
It depends on what ingredients do we have, and what is the seasonal fruits. I know that this tea room has a long history, do you know if there are any differences from the desserts that served in the past and now?
No‌I don’t know. But I think the desserts are more or less the same, which are always cakes and cookies, they are the best companies of tea. (Because the tea room was quite busy at that moment so I couldn’t ask further questions, therefore our conversion ended.)
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Since I have come to U.K, I have tried many different Western desserts that are not common in Hong Kong. For example, scone with clotted cream, trifle, meringue, etc. It is interesting to taste and find some desserts that I have never had – it is a special treat to myself. When I go back to Hong Kong, I ill try to make desserts that I found here and therefore can share the happiness to the others. I did have good times when having desserts with my friends here.
Dessert Places
Strawberry waffle at Crepe Affair, Cardiff
Take-away red velvet cake at Caffè Nero, Bristol
Bosco cake and Lemon cake at Coffe#1, Wells
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Cakes at Bricklane, London
Doughnuts at Huspy Hreme, Bristol
Dessert Places
During my stay in Bristol, I have found some places that are good for desserts. Most of them are tearooms with different styles – vintage, feminine, clean, etc. Here I will introduce two Bristol tea rooms: Cox and Baloney Tea Rooms, and The Tea Birds.
Cox and Baloney Tea Rooms Cox and Baloney Tea Rooms is an independent vintage inspired tea room with boutique, both full to the brim with vintage gems and treasures; from gorgeous dresses to reworked furniture, home wear, crockery and chalk paint.
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The Tea Birds The Tea Birds is the brainchild of best friends Anna and Jodie, who both grew up around the Bristol area before going to UWE together. They opened The Tea Birds at the beginning of November as an independent vintage tea room, offering fine loose teas, quality coffees, homebaked goods, cupcakes, sandwiches, and afternoon teas, including a savoury option!
Dessert Places
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