Dessert
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A selection of desserts |
Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a dinner, usually consisting of sweet
food but sometimes of a strongly-flavored one, such as some
cheeses. The word comes from the
Old French desservir, "to clear the table."
The word
dessert is most commonly used in
Ireland,
U.S.,
Canada,
Australia (and in
France), while
sweet,
pudding or
afters would be more typical in the
UK and some other Commonwealth countries for this course. According to
Debrett's,
pudding is the proper term,
dessert is only to be used if the course consists of fruit, and
sweet is
colloquial.
Dessert as a standard part of a
Western meal is a relatively recent development. Before the
19th-century rise of the
middle class, and the
mechanization of the
sugar industry, sweets were a privilege of the
aristocracy, or a rare
holiday treat. As sugar became cheaper and more readily available, the development and popularity of desserts spread accordingly.
Some cultures do not have a separate final sweet course but mix sweet and savoury dishes throughout the meal as in
Chinese cuisine, or reserve elaborate dessert concoctions for special occasions. Often, the dessert is seen as a separate meal or snack rather than a course, and may be eaten some time after the meal (usually in less formal settings). Some restaurants specialize in dessert. In colloquial American usage "dessert" has a broader meaning and can refer to anything sweet that follows a meal, including milkshakes and other drinks.
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Biscuits or
cookies
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Cakes
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Crumbles
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Custards
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Fruit*
Gelatin desserts
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Ice creams
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Meringues
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Pastries*
Pies or
tarts
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Puddings
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Sorbets
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Soufflés
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Trifles
* "Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." -- Ernestine Ulmer
[http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/life-is-uncertain-eat-dessert-first/347441.html] [http://www.quotegarden.com/desserts.html]*
Confectionery*
Desserts How To*
Dessert is also the name of a range of women's
cosmetics, released by singer
Jessica Simpson.
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Dessert made en masse |
