Desserts and Other Sweets

1 min read

In the Western world, desserts tend to carry a ton of weight, either as decadent concoctions representing the chef’s grand finale or sweet rewards for cleaning the dinner plate. Not so in China. Rather than indulging in a fancy dessert after the evening meal, the Chinese prefer to eat fruit, usually in its fresh and natural state. It’s not that the Chinese don’t have a sweet tooth—far from it.

In fact, to many Western palates, some of the traditional Chinese desserts that do exist are overly sweet. However, the Chinese normally prefer to indulge their cravings for sweets between meals, especially when entertaining company or celebrating special occasions and festivals. That desserts don’t figure more prominently in Chinese cuisine is largely a practical matter, as well. For one, most households lack ovens and, until recently, even refrigerators. For another, the quick turnover in most Chinese restaurants is largely dependent upon a repertoire of quick-cooking, stir-fried dishes—the lengthy preparation of complicated desserts would invariably tie up the kitchen. Instead, households and restaurants alike prefer to leave the job of elaborate desserts and pastries to bakeries, of which there are many.

Of course, you can always follow Chinese tradition and conclude your evening meal with a piece of fruit. Or, you can occasionally break with tradition and indulge in the following delicious desserts with no regrets—it’s all good!