Great British Bake Off- Baking around the world
It’s that time of year again, where we wish Smell-O-Vision was real.
Even if ‘bake off’ isn’t your thing, it’s undeniable that in today’s society food is a massive part of our individual heritage and for many of us it can bring comfort and fond memories, sometimes in a warm baked good.
Many traditional foods have a deep rooted history and cooking, in particular baking, is a chance for cultures to combine, share and develop recipes. Ultimately experimenting with flavours to create a delicious end product.
Let’s take a look at where some of the tastiest goods originate…
Apple strudel- Central Europe
Sliced apples and other fruit are wrapped and cooked in layers of filo pastry. The earliest known recipe is in Vienna but several countries in central and Eastern Europe also claim this dish.
Bakewell pudding- United Kingdom
First created by accident in Bakewell around 1860, this has a flaky pastry base covered with raspberry jam and topped with custard and almonds. The Bakewell tart is similar but tends to use shortcrust pastry with a layer of sponge instead of custard.
Baklava- Turkey/Greece
This is a pastry that is rich and sweet and made with layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is documented that the sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries every 15th of the month of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayi.
Bakpia Pathok- Indonesia
These are small, round-shaped Chinese-Indonesian pastries, usually stuffed with mung bean paste. They are purchased by visitors of Yogyakarta as gifts for friends and family.
Banitsa- Bulgaria
Prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry, which is then baked in an oven. Traditionally, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on New Year's Eve.
Banket- Netherlands
Popular during the Christmas season, these are prepared by rolling pastry dough around an almond paste filling and then baking it. The log is then cut into short lengths for serving, hot or cold.
Cinnamon Roll- Sweden
A Cinnamon roll is a sweet roll served commonly in Northern Europe and North America. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavour.
Fa Gao- China
Commonly consumed on the Chinese New Year, Fa-Gao is a Chinese cupcake-type pastry made with rice flour and yeast. The batter is typically left to rest for fermentation (such as overnight) prior to being steam-cooked.
Fig roll- Ancient Egyptian
A pastry, filled with fig paste it was originally traded by the sailors and explorers of developing countries, they became popular in the southern and hotter parts of the Mediterranean. Figs were highly traded and fought over during the development of the great trade routes during the 15th to 17th centuries.
At Vandu we provide the bridge to bring together cultures. We understand that being heard and understood whoever you are should never be an obstacle. We are proud to be the top quality interpreting and translation service in Sussex. Get in contact with one of our team today for more information, call 01273 473986 or email info@vlslanguages.com.
