the last guilty pleasure after a meal.

But did you know that

before the 17th century in Europe,

what we know as desserts

were used to cleanse the palate between courses?

In many parts of the world,

sugar was a rare and expensive ingredient.

It wasn't until colonists generated and expanded

the production of sugar fields through slave labor

that the price of sugar was lowered.

By the mid-17th century,

cookbooks dedicated to desserts were published.

With many different textures, colors, and flavors,

here are some of the best desserts

that exist around the world.

This sweet treat got its name

from the politician Eduardo Gomes,

who ran for president of Brazil in the 1940s.

Brigadeiros, which were inspired

by Gomes' military rank, brigadier,

quickly became a popular treat sold by women

who supported him at rallies.

He lost the election,

but the bite-sized treat lives on.

It is made with condensed milk, butter,

and cocoa powder and covered with chocolate sprinkles.

In Nigeria, the act of repeating a word twice

is deeply embedded in the culture.

It is used for clarity and emphasis.

Puff puff is deep-fried dough

sprinkled with powdered sugar in some cases,

and it can be served as both an appetizer and a dessert,

savory or sweet.

When I first think of mochi,

I think of the mochi ice cream

in boxes sold at Trader Joe's,

but that's just the American take on the famous dessert.

Mochi is actually a rice cake made from mochigome.

This rice becomes glutinous when boiled

and doughy when steamed.

Water and air are huge factors

in the transformation of mochigome

to the mochi dessert that we know.

Water prevents the mochi from being a sticky mess,

and air contributes to the gooey stretch.

The word tembleque is

associated with the Spanish word

temblar, which means to jiggle or tremble.

This definitely represents the consistency of this dessert.

A coconut pudding, or custard if you wish,

templeque is a holiday dessert

that has numerous variations throughout Latin America.

But no matter where you are, it is best eaten cold.

Legend has it that chimney cakes

were invented by women in Transylvania

during the Mongol invasion in 1241.

In order to convince the Mongols

that they would outlive them during a stalemate,

the women of Transylvania came up with a plan

that mixed flour with water

wrapped around a wooden stick.

This gave the illusion of large portions of bread,

but they were in fact hollow on the inside.

Starving and disappointed, the Mongols left,

and chimney cakes went on to be popular

in both Romania and Hungary.

This next dessert takes us here

to Little Cupcake Bakeshop in New York,

home to one of my favorite American desserts.

And, no, it is not apple pie.

Many people wonder, is red velvet cake

simply just chocolate cake with red food dye?

And the answer is: not exactly.

Though the dessert has

cocoa powder as one of the ingredients,

it also calls for vinegar and buttermilk.

The acidic flavors mixed with the cream-cheese frosting

makes for a dessert that is definitely not chocolate cake.

The red velvet cake stems back to a marketing ploy

by an American food-coloring company.

During the Great Depression, in order to boost sales,

the Adams Extract company added red food coloring

to velvet cake in order to give it

the bright, distinct color that we know today.

So as demand for the dessert increased,

so did their revenue.

Banoffee pie is a sweet combination

of bananas, toffee, and whipped cream

on a thick graham-cracker crust.

The word banoffee itself is actually a portmanteau

from words banana and toffee.

It was invented at a restaurant in Sussex, England,

and became world-famous.

Yakgwa, meaning \"medicinal confection,\"

got its name because honey was known in Korea

as healthy medicine.

Yakgwa is a deep-fried cookie

soaked in honey for six to eight hours.

The history of this dessert is tied to special occasions

like royal banquets or Chuseok.

Though originally enjoyed mostly by the upper class

because of the honey, it is commonly eaten today

and still served for Chuseok.

Soaked in a series of three milks,

evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream or whole milk,

this dessert is incredibly simple

yet deliciously complex.

Although people are not entirely sure

where the dessert originated,

the main consensus is Mexico.

It was Nestlé that took the tres leches cake mainstream

by featuring the recipe on cans

of evaporated, condensed, and cream milk.

Despite the marketing scheme,

tres leches developed its own cultural significance

in families all across Latin America.

Stroopwafel is a sweet, caramellike filling

sandwiched between two thin waffle cookies

and was invented in the Dutch city of Gouda.

Gerard Kamphuisen, who is credited as the inventor,

took leftover bread crumbs

and mixed them with a thick syrup.

Warm up the caramel by letting the stroopwafel

sit on a cup of coffee or tea before consuming,

and you won't be sorry.

A Filipino word meaning "mix-mix,"

halo-halo is a popular dessert in the Philippines

made up of shaved ice, condensed milk,

and fun sweet toppings like fruit, jellies, beans,

ube ice cream, or sweet custard.

This sweet treat is derived from

the Japanese dessert kakigori.

With the mix of Japanese occupation before World War II

and the ice plant built by Americans

in the Philippines in 1902, it was only a matter of time

before Filipinos redesigned the ice treat

to make what is known today as halo-halo.

The origins of this dessert are a bit murky,

with the Catalans saying their crema Catalana

preceded France's crème brûlée

as well as Britain saying its trinity cream was the first.

However, thanks to chef François Massialot,

France has the oldest recipe in writing,

dating back to 1691.

Crème brûlée is a custard topped with sugar that gets

torched to create a

caramelized, hardened top layer.

Unlike crème brûlée, where the curdling, or clumping,

of eggs in the custard is the sign of a mishap,

baked custard welcomes the slight cooking of the egg.

Instead of including only the egg yolk, like most custards,

baked custard includes the entire egg

and can be served warm or cool, based on preference.

Did you know that the correct way

to eat a Belgian waffle is with your hands?

The Belgian waffle,

originally called Brussels waffle,

is one of two types of waffles that originated in Belgium.

Americans know the Belgian waffle

as a delicious breakfast food, but not many of us

are actually eating the waffle as it was intended.

Belgian waffles are not to be eaten with a knife and fork,

but rather with your hands.

And no syrup. Maybe fruit or whipped cream at most.

Maurice Vermersch was the one who changed the name

from Brussels waffle to Belgian,

because Americans did not know where Brussels was.

Partly influenced by British colonial occupation,

this dessert actually has health benefits.

Currants are high in fiber;

manganese, which helps strengthen bones;

potassium; and copper, which helps with metabolism.

Trinidadians eat the rolls casually

as an afternoon snack or sometimes breakfast.

This dessert actually is not pudding at all.

Malva pudding, like many other desserts,

has an unknown origin story.

Some say Dutch, while others say South African.

Similar to toffee pudding,

its warm, spongy texture coated in a warm cream sauce

is a recipe for deliciousness.

And how can I forget the key ingredient? The apricot jam.

The cake's name is derived from the liquor

of the Black Forest mountain region,

known as Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser.

The liquor is distilled from tart cherries.

Black Forest cake was invented in 1915

by confectioner Josef Keller.

Some people suggest that the look of the cake

is a visual pun on the traditional bollenhut

worn by the women in the Black Forest.

As popular as this dessert is in India,

according to food historian and former chef Michael Krondl,

it's derived from a fritter

belonging to Central Asian Turkic invaders.

Folklore in India says that gulab jamun

was accidentally created by a Persian priest

and presented to the people as a royal dessert.

Although it shares similarities

with the Arabic luqaimat, a staple during Ramadan,

gulab jamun is unique because it's covered

in a rose-water-scented syrup.

As someone who took out loans to pay for college,

the story of this next dessert really hit home.

If you're searching for an easy,

no-bake dessert option, look no further.

The Nanaimo bar consists of three layers.

The base is made up of wafer, nuts, and coconut crumbs,

the middle is custard,

and the top layer is chocolate ganache.

The bar is named after the city

of Nanaimo in southwest Canada.

The earliest recording of the name "Nanaimo bar"

was in 1953.

Susan Mendelson popularized the dessert

and commercialized it in the 1970s

to help pay her tuition.

She then opened up her own café,

The Lazy Gourmet, selling the dessert.

Khao niaow ma muang is most likely

to have originated in northern Thailand.

This traditional Thai dessert is made with glutinous rice,

coconut milk, a pinch of salt, sugar, and mangoes

garnished with toasted sesame seeds or split mung beans.

The best time to eat this dessert

is in the peak mango season in Thailand,

April through June.

Translated from Italian as "pick me up,"

this espresso- and alcohol-infused dessert

is sure to do a bit of that and more.

Pastry chef Loli Linguanotto was identified

as the creator in the '70s.

However, Italian food writers discovered evidence

that the same ingredients were first combined

and called "tirime su" by chef Mario Cosolo in the '50s.

This, of course, sparked much controversy,

but regardless, the origin remains in Italy.

Baklava's origins are still debatable.

Both Turkey and Greece claim ownership of the dessert.

In Turkey, baklava is traditionally made

with pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts,

and in 2008, the Turkish patent office

registered a certificate for Antep baklava,

or baklava with pistachios.

And in Greece, traditionally,

baklava is made with 40 filo sheets

to represent the 40 days of Lent.

Similar to the famous baklava,

galaktoboureko is filled with semolina custard

and covered with several layers of filo.

It's soaked in a syrup, making it a sweet, light dessert

that can take the shape of rolls or squares.

Either way, it's undisputably delicious.

Giving up my sugar addiction for Lent

was my go-to as a child.

But for Dominicans who observe Lent