A part I love about travel is being able to try new foods. Purely for the sake of the blog, I’ll eat absolutely everything during my trips even if it means a doughier figure and occasional pain associated with ingesting certain foods that my digestive system urges me to say no to but my mind always says yes. Although I’m not much of a sweets guy, these seven were irresistible.

Pastéis de Nata – Portugal

I still dream about these babies since I was introduced to them on my visit to Lisbon. These little tarts are made with a flaky pastry and filled with a sweet and creamy custard before being charred with a caramelized layer on top. If you get the chance to eat one fresh from the oven, it’s heaven in a bite.

Gelato – Italy

Since gelato only became popular in Toronto after the glory days of when I was still lactose tolerant, I’d only had it a few times and none were that memorable. In fact, I didn’t discern much of a difference from just regular ice cream. I realized I couldn’t had been more wrong after my first true gelato experience in Italy. It was life changing. I was addicted to its intense flavour and the density of its soft texture. I may or may not have ingested a week’s worth of dairy pills within a day in Florence as I substituted gelato for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Tang Yuan – Hong Kong

Considering the fact that Chinese people generally don’t like things that are overly sweet, they still do love their desserts. One of my favourites are the glutinous rice balls served in a sugary ginger broth. These little chewy spheres are filled with sweet ingredients such as peanut, red bean or black sesame that ooze out once you take a bite into them.

Poffertjes – Netherlands

These Dutch donuts are sold in stands everywhere along the streets and they were remarkably addicting. They place pancake batter in waffle irons lined with inch wide sphere molds and heat them up until the outsides are crispy while the insides are still fluffy and moist. To top it off, they sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the lovely treats.

Mango Sticky Rice – Thailand

Rice as a dessert may sound odd, but mango sticky rice is a must try during a visit to Thailand. I find that fruits are so much sweeter and flavourful in Southeast Asia and the mangos are no exception. Sold in street stalls all over the country, rice that has been soaked with coconut milk is accompanied with fresh and juicy slices of mango and lastly topped with more sweetened coconut milk. It’s not only delicious, but extremely refreshing in the Thai heat.

Kürtőskalács – Hungary

Although originating from Hungary and parts of Romania, these cylindrical shaped treats are beginning to pop up all over the globe. These chimney cakes are prepared by wrapping a strip of sweet dough that’s rolled in sugar around a cone shaped spit and roasted until golden brown. The end product is tube shaped pastry that’s crunchy on the outside from the caramelized sugar but also soft and chewy on the inside. To top it off, you can ask to have it sprinkled with cinnamon or ground walnuts.

Cremia Ice Cream – Japan

Some claim that Cremia ice cream is the best soft serve in the world and it’s not hard to see why. Made with ingredients of the highest grade, including fresh cream from the famed dairy farms of Hokkaido, the end product is incredibly smooth, creamy, and pure. Its rich flavour comes from the fact that it’s prepared with milk that has a 12.5% fat content. To put this into context, homogenized milk is only 3.25% milk fat. Add to the fact that a quarter of its recipe calls for cream, my mind’s decision to take one of these down was certainly one my body was not happy about.

Discover other awesome highlights from around the globe in my other Top 7 Lists!