I recently watched an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman about different kid’s meals around the world. In the show he said “One kid’s weird is another kid’s wonderful.” This got me thinking in terms of weddings. Many cultures around the world do not embrace the idea of a wedding cake, but instead have their own traditions. I know, I know, why would someone ever consider getting rid of the delicious wedding cake? Well maybe these traditional desserts can explain why! And hey…you might be surprised and find that you prefer a culturally rich dessert at your wedding too. I have chosen my top three wedding deserts from different countries to dig into.
Italy
The first wedding dessert on our journey around the world is the Italian Millefoglie [mil-le-fò-glie], which means “Thousand Leaves.” The name is fitting considering the many layers of cream puffs and fruit embedded in the core. This dessert is only found in certain regions of Italy, other parts use the traditional wedding cake, and others don’t celebrate with a cake at all! In the regions of Italy where Millefoglie is found, residents really emphasize the importance of taste! I think the Italians got it right with this dessert, I have tried it and it is delicious!
Interested in trying a Millefoglie? Check out this recipe!
China
The second alternative to the traditional North American wedding cake is the Lapis Surabaya, which is a traditional Chinese wedding cake. Lapis Surabaya is a rich Indonesian inspired sponge cake. There are generally several layers to this cake; each layer is supposed to represent the ladder to success for the couple. This cake is packed full of almost 30 egg yolks….sure this may not be the healthiest cake to eat but has that ever stopped us from consuming something so tasty and delightful? I think not! Tradition has it that you are supposed to cut from the bottom up and each newlywed is to individually feed each of their parents and grandparents. This seems fair seeing how generally the couple’s parents fund the event.
The final wedding dessert I am going to covet over is the French Croquembouche [kroh-kuh m-boosh]. This French version of a wedding cake consists of fifty delicious little cream puffs all stacked into a pyramid and topped with harden caramel. The word Croquembouche means “crisp in the mouth,” which is appropriate since it is considered a crunchy dessert. Eva Longoria had one of these flown in for her wedding to Tony Parker for $15,000!!! Can’t wait till your next French style wedding to dig into one of these yummy desserts? Worry not, here is the link to the Food Networks Recipe of French Croquembouche, you can even make some yourself.
Don’t have enough time to create your own masterpiece? Visit Baguette et Chocolat and they can help you meet your craving as well.
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