Valentine’s Day Special
Sweets for my sweet
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AUSSIE PAVLOVA
PHOTO: TRANSPARENCES/INSTAGRAM
Michelle Tchea
To me, one of the best ways to say I love you is with dessert.
The icing on the cake would be to savour the sweet treats with your loved one on a romantic getaway. Alas, Valentine's Day falls amid a global pandemic.
My wanderlust remains strong and on this day, the best desserts around the world spring to mind - in particular those that make me think of their respective countries' famous landmarks.
Just looking at these decadent sweets brings back fond memories of my travels. Perhaps they will do the same for you.
Happy Valentine's Day.
AUSSIE PAVLOVA
Australians and New Zealanders cannot agree on who invented this meringue, cream and fruit dessert.
The New Zealand story goes that a chef created it in honour of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who had sold-out tours in New Zealand and Australia during the 1920s.
But I am Australian, so I choose to believe the dessert came from my home country. And I feel it looks a lot like an iconic Australian landmark - Ayers Rock. Located in the Northern Territory, the massive sandstone shares the same rugged and rigid exterior as a "pav", as the dessert is affectionately known.
While climbing the Unesco World Heritage Site has been banned, a trip out north, when borders reopen, is still worth it. Don't forget to try a pavlova while you are there.
MONT BLANC
A dome of pureed and sweetened chestnuts topped with whipped cream, Mont Blanc is named after the snow-capped mountain of the same name in the Alps. At 4,808m above sea level, it is the highest summit in Western Europe.
With the mountain sitting on the French and Italian borders, both countries have claimed they invented the dessert, which is also hugely popular in Japan.
If you are making your way to Mont Blanc from France or Switzerland, stop by Cafe Baratti & Milano (www.barattiemilano.it) in Turin, Italy.
Or pop by iconic French tearoom Angelina Paris (angelina-paris.fr/en/home) if you are in the city of love. Founded in 1903, it calls the Mont Blanc its signature pastry.
Singaporeans do not have to leave the country to enjoy an authentic Mont Blanc. Angelina's outpost at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands offers the dessert at $16.
SFOGLIATELLA
This 400-year-old Italian pastry filled with ricotta cheese and candied fruit originated in the Amalfi Coast, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was created in a convent, with historians claiming that its shape was made to resemble a monk's hood.
The American version of the pastry is known as the lobster tail because of its shape.
Those who have travelled to Italy's 50km southern coastline would know that fresh lobsters are caught daily by local fishermen.
The ripples in the sfogliatella may also remind them of the waves crashing against the cliffs, home to lemon groves and picturesque pastel-hued fishing villages.
Savour the dessert at Hotel Santa Caterina (www.hotelsantacaterina.it/en/index), the grande dame of the coast, and soak in stunning views at the same time.
KAKIGORI
Think Japanese ice kachang. This giant shaved ice dessert drizzled with sugar syrup and sweet toppings such as red-bean paste always reminds me of Mount Fuji, Japan's most famous landmark with a very recognisable ice-capped peak.
Kakigori is perfect on a sizzling summer day at Hakone - an area known for its luxury hot springs and resorts, where you can enjoy spectacular views of the country's highest mountain.
BLACK FOREST CAKE
The mountainous region of Schwarzwald, known to non-Germans as the Black Forest, is strongly associated with the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, which admittedly is not very romantic, considering the stories involve trolls and witches.
But the region - which borders France in south-western Germany and which is home to luxury spa resorts - is popular among couples for weekend getaways during summer and winter. It is also where the black forest cake was born.
Today, cafes and hotels in the area offer their own family recipes of the confection. With chocolate, whipped cream and schnapps-infused cherries, the classic sponge cake may be the ultimate Valentine's Day dessert.
And where could be a better place to dig into it than among fir trees in the heart of the Black Forest? Hotel Traube Tonbach (www.traube-tonbach.de/en) serves a black forest cake made with extra booze.
• Based in Europe, Australia-born Michelle Tchea is the author of Chefs Collective and writes on food, wine and travel.