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In Asian meals, desserts are not the big
feature they are in Western meals. The sweets of South East Asia are
usually between-meal snacks made from sticky rice; or cool refreshers of
shaved ice sweetened with syrup and bits of fruit or beans cooked in
sugar. The sweets of India may be dry or syrupy, and almost always the
main ingredients are reduced milk, ground almonds, lentil flour, ghee
and sugar. Indian sweet dishes are just as likely to be served at the
start of the meal 'to sweeten the mouth' as at the end.
Colonized countries commonly adopt the
customs of the conqueror. Thus we have custards such as Vattalappam in
Sri Lanka and Kheer in India. In the Philippines, the Spanish influence
is obvious in Leche Flan. In Thailand, a small bowl of cool, light syrup
and coconut milk with interesting items such as tapioca, tender young
coconut and basil seeds may be followed by Lum Chup, miniature fruit
molded from sweetened mung bean paste - smaller and prettier than any
marzipan fruits from the confectioners of Europe.
China, Japan and Korea would traditionally
offer fresh fruits, sometimes cut decoratively into intriguing shapes,
but often bow to Western preference and offer custard desserts or
jellies based on seaweed. Many Asian really enjoy a custard which has
become too firm by classic French standards but which is perfectly
acceptable in Asian countries. The dissolved palm sugar fills the
numerous little holes caused by over-beating the eggs and overheating
the oven. So if you are served such a custard by your Asian host, they
haven't ruined the dish - it is simply that expectations are different.
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