Do you know people who claim to not like desserts, or the one who prefer savouries over sweet dishes? I'm surely not one of them. There is nothing more satisfying than an entire cavalcade of desserts arriving at your table, isn't it? The joy of wolfing down each of your favourite sweet treats is just unmatchable. Honestly, you put me face-to-face with Mississippi mud pie or blueberry pie with ice cream, I will never be able to resist, even if I'm super stuffed. But then, there are times when you have some "sweet accidents," like you order the most exotic-looking dessert from the menu and it turns out to be a huge disappointment. Ordering desserts can be a little tricky sometimes. So, to avoid all such mishaps for all you dessert lovers out there, we spoke to City Pastry Chef of Social, Smoke House Deli and Salt Water Cafe (Mumbai), Janmejay Sachdeva, and he laid down a few pointers for us to keep in mind while we order desserts the next time in a restaurant.
Here Are 5 Mistakes To Avoid While Ordering Desserts:
1. Avoid Heavy Desserts After Dinner
We Indians are fond of eating a lot of spicy and oil-laden food, especially at dinner time. We can't keep ourselves away from all the dal makhnis and butter chickens of the world (which are already full of calories). On top of it, post a heavy meal we indulge in some delicious (read heavy and sinful) desserts like kulfi with rabri or other heavy milk-based dessert like kheer and phirni. All of this results in bloating and uneasiness. So, make sure to balance your meal with a light dinner and heavy dessert or heavy dinner with light dessert.
(Also Read: 10 Best Dessert Recipes)
Make sure to balance your meal with a light dinner and heavy dessert or heavy dinner with light dessert
2. Be Wise While Pairing Your Dessert With Main Course
Pairing the right kind of dessert with your main course is one of the most important things that one should keep in mind. Meaning, if you have ordered or planning to order something tangy like tomato gravy-based curries, then avoid going for citric or tangy desserts like lemon tart or lime sorbets, as it will result in acidity or gastric issues.
3. People Order Gelato Thinking It's An Ice-cream
This is one of the common mistakes we do while ordering desserts. Every milk-based semi-solid mixture is not an ice-cream, it can even be a gelato or a mousse. It is important to know the difference between gelato and ice-cream. Gelato comes from the same family as ice-cream, but it is a denser version, which is heavier than ice-cream and is quite filling. Moreover, gelato doesn't settle like an ice-cream as it melts very quickly.
(Also Read: 8 Unique Desserts You Will Find Only In India)
Gelato comes from the same family as ice-cream, but it is a denser version.
4. Always Ask For The Ingredients Before Making Your Decision
While ordering desserts, don't be shy and ask for its ingredients. Generally, we order desserts by just falling for their exotic presentation or sometimes just by their names - without knowing their ingredients. This may result in a total disaster, meaning, you order thinking of a particular taste and flavour and you get something else. There are people who are allergic to foods like peanut butter, coffee, chocolate, gluten, or are vegan. So if you are gluten intolerant and order a chocolate mousse, you could be in for some trouble as the base of the mousse could be made of flour. So, it's always better to ask about the ingredients of the dessert you plan to order.
5. The Bestselling Dessert Will Not Always Be The Right Choice
Imagine you ordered the bestselling dessert of the cafe/restaurant, without even knowing what it is exactly. You are waiting for the steward to serve you an exotic dessert, but he serves a simple chocolate pastry. Disappointed much? It is because the bestselling dessert of any restaurant/cafe does not mean that it will be a fancy sweet dish; on the contrary, it could be any dessert, which is sold in greater quantity than the others.
(Also Read: 10 Incredible No-Bake Desserts)
Bestselling dessert means that it is a dessert that is sold in greater quantity than the others.
So, the next time you order dessert at any restaurant or cafe, keep the above-mentioned things in mind and enjoy a deliciously sweet time!