A short history of dessert
The first desserts were sweets made from fruit or nuts rolled in honey. Sugar only became more widely available in Europe from the Middle Ages, and even then it was so expensive that it was reserved for the wealthy on special occasions.
In Western societies, dessert is the course that comes at the end of a meal, usually something sweet. The word comes from the French desservir, “to clear the table”. Common desserts include biscuits, cakes, pies and pastries, and traditionally fruit was served alongside. In Russia, breakfast foods such as bliny (thin pancakes), oladi (small, thick yeast pancakes) and syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes), served with honey and jam, are also popular as desserts.
“Dessert” is the most common word for this course in Australia, America, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, while “sweet”, “pudding” or “afters” are used in England and some other Commonwealth countries.
Dessert and your health
Cutting back on sweet foods is a common strategy for weight control, reducing kilojoules, sugar and fat. Some people feel a meal isn’t complete without dessert, but the fact is that most desserts are loaded with sugar and fat. Choosing healthier desserts matters, especially if you want to lose weight.
Be careful: low-fat doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. Low-fat desserts often have added sugar, and research shows people tend to eat more of a food when it’s labelled low-fat.
Fresh fruit is a great dessert, and it doesn’t need to be boring. There are so many beautiful fruits around, and this is my favourite recipe for all ages.
Recipe: chargrilled fruit kebabs with spiced yoghurt
Serves 4. Use whatever fruit is in season and plentiful in place of the fruit below.
Ingredients
- 100 g watermelon, peeled
- 100 g pineapple, peeled
- 100 g honeydew melon, peeled
- 100 g fresh strawberries
- 250 g natural yoghurt
- 2 g (about 1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 10 ml orange juice
- 20 g honey
- Canola oil spray
- Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes) or metal skewers
Method
- Cut the melons and pineapple into 4 cm cubes. Hull the strawberries and halve them if large.
- Heat a chargrill or barbecue.
- Thread the fruit onto the skewers, alternating one piece of each fruit and leaving about 5 cm clear at each end.
- Mix the honey, cinnamon and orange juice into the yoghurt and spoon into a small serving dish.
- Spray the grill with oil and add the skewers, keeping the sticks away from the hottest part so they don’t burn. Lightly chargrill each side until the fruit softens but doesn’t fall off the skewer.
- Arrange on a platter and serve immediately with the spiced yoghurt, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Everything in moderation
If you never allow yourself an indulgent dessert, you’ll feel ripped off. So go ahead and have one now and then, in moderation. Remember, it’s what you do 95 percent of the time that counts. If you’re trying to lose weight, just add some extra exercise to your day or week.
