During my stay in
Brazil, I experienced the rich tastes of several traditional desserts. Many of
these are fruit-based and unique to the tropical region in which they are
found. One of the most popular sweets in Pernambuco is bolo de rolo, or “rollcake.” It consists of thin dough wrapped
around a sweet guava filling. The outer part is covered in sugar, giving
the dessert a crunchy texture. The graininess of bolo de rolo contrasts with
the cool softness of flan pudding, made of milk, condensed milk, egg, and caramelized
sugar.
Bolo de Rolo
Towel inspired by bolo de rolo
Flan
The fruits and
sherberts in Brazil are also delicious: graviola,
maracuja (passionfruit), mamão (papaya), caja, caju (fruit of the
cashew tree), acerola, açai, pinha (sugar-apple), etc. I was pleasantly surprised when I
rediscovered one of these Brazilian flavors during a spring semester at NUS in
Singapore. When I first heard the word “soursop,” I was hesitant to try it.
Little did I know that “soursop” is in fact graviola,
my favorite tropical fruit. I had it both in frozen yogurt form and as a
refreshing drink mixed with strawberry.
Orange, sugar-apple, and papaya
Strawberry and soursop juice in Singapore
While I was in
Singapore, I tried an avocado milkshake for the first time. At NUS, they
prepare these with a bit of chocolate sauce, which complements the smooth,
thick avocado very well. When my Brazilian aunt whipped up some abacatada, I made sure to mix in some
cocoa powder to achieve that delicious combination.
In addition to
fruit, Brazilians love chocolate. Brigadeiros
are common at children’s birthday parties. They are essentially bonbons
made of condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder. I’ve also tried sonho de valsa, which traditionally has
a cashew nut filling. Homemade chocolate cakes are popular as well.
Brigadeiros
Sonho de Valsa pudding
Chocolate cake with gummies on top
There are a myriad
of other desserts I have not covered. Hopefully, I have given you a taste of
the exotic sweets and fruits one can find in the tropics. If you’d like to
learn more about my culinary ventures in Singapore, check out my other page:
Crisp flaking ice cream
Rolled up crystal guava cake
Brazilian sweets
