What fried desserts look like in 22 places around the world

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Jessica BoothMay 22, 2020, 19:28 IST
What fried desserts look like in 22 places around the world

Sfenj is a popular Moroccan treat made with a yeasted dough.Shutterstock

  • Fried desserts are common in different countries around the world.
  • Bomboloni, munkki, Berliners, and pączki are all fried treats that are similar to doughnuts.
  • Buñuelos, puff puffs, and loukoumades are bite-sized fried treats.
  • Many fried desserts, like jalebi, sopapillas, and koeksisters are coated in a sugary syrup.

Fried desserts are a common treat around the world. No matter how you make them or what you top them with, it seems like nearly every culture has a take on these sweet treats.

Here's what fried desserts look like in different places around the world.

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In South America, many people eat tiny buñuelos, which symbolize good luck.

In South America, many people eat tiny buñuelos, which symbolize good luck.
They made differently depending on where you are in South America. alexander ruiz/Getty Images

Buñuelos are bite-size dough balls popular in South American countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico. They are also commonly found in parts of Mexico and Spain.

The sweet dessert is made with slightly different ingredients depending on where it's made — in Mexico, for example, they're often served with a sweet syrup called piloncillo, and in Colombia they are a Christmas treat usually made with cheese.

Buñuelos can be tricky to make, but they are said to bring good luck if they're eaten during the holiday season.

Bomboloni are Italy's version of doughnuts.

Bomboloni are Italy's version of doughnuts.
Bomboloni can be filled with custard or Nutella. Gandolfo Cannatella/Shutterstock

Bomboloni are round fried dough balls usually filled with pastry cream, chocolate, Nutella, or jam.

They are often topped with icing or powdered sugar, and they are enjoyed in various parts of Italy. However, the ingredients can change depending on the region.

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People in Finland enjoy munkki, sometimes known as May Day doughnuts.

People in Finland enjoy munkki, sometimes known as May Day doughnuts.
The doughnuts are made with cardamom. peacefoo/Shutterstock

Munkki look like jelly doughnuts, but they have more dough and a different flavor. The main difference from a traditional doughnut is that they are made with cardamom.

Munkki are traditionally served at Vappu, a carnival at the start of spring, and they are especially popular on the eve of May Day.

Balushahi is a traditional Indian pastry.

Balushahi is a traditional Indian pastry.
A balushahi has a different texture and taste than a doughnut. jayk7/Getty Images

Balushahi is a popular dessert in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It's similar to a glazed doughnut, but with a different texture and taste.

Balushahi is usually crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They are typically deep-fried in melted ghee, then soaked in a sweet liquid that hardens to make a sugary frosting shell.

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Portuguese sonhos are round balls of fried pastry dough.

Portuguese sonhos are round balls of fried pastry dough.
Sonhos are usually filled with cream. Ariadne Barroso/Shutterstock

Popular in Brazil and Portugal, sonhos are fluffy, round doughnut-like balls of fried pastry dough. They're typically soaked in syrup then dusted in a cinnamon-sugar mix, and they are sometimes filled with some sort of cream.

Sonhos are most popular around the holidays.

Berliners are the German version of jelly doughnuts.

Berliners are the German version of jelly doughnuts.
This is a sweet, fried dough with jam filling and powdered sugar. Quanthem / iStock

Berliners are a traditional German pastry made of sweet, fried dough. They are filled with a marmalade or jam filling and topped with plenty of powdered sugar.

Berliners used to be cut in half and filled with jam but today, the jam is typically inserted with a piping bag.

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Beignets, a popular New Orleans specialty, have some French roots.

Beignets, a popular New Orleans specialty, have some French roots.
Beignets are famous in New Orleans. Page Light Studios/Shutterstock

You might know beignets from New Orleans, but they have some roots in France.

The word "beignet" is French for "fritter" or "doughnut."

They are traditionally a member of the French choux pastry family, which means they have a hollow center, giving them a light, fluffy texture. Beignets are dusted with a generous amount of powdered sugar, giving them a sugary, sweet exterior.

Pączki are a popular Polish dessert similar to Berliners.

Pączki are a popular Polish dessert similar to Berliners.
Pączki are made with a splash of vodka. Thomson Reuters

If you just look at pączki, you might think they're the same as Berliners, but they're slightly different.

These Polish doughnuts stand out because they're made with a splash of Polish vodka called Spiritus, along with flours, eggs, milk, sugar, yeast, and butter.

It's a tradition to serve them on Fat Tuesday, the day before the start of the religious season of Lent. In some places, the Thursday before Mardi Gras is even known as Pączki Day.

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Japanese mochi doughnuts are one of the most beautiful fried treats.

Japanese mochi doughnuts are one of the most beautiful fried treats.
Mochi doughnuts are made with rice flour. 1000Photography/Shutterstock

Mochi doughnuts are made with rice flour, which makes them light, chewy, and a little crispy.

The doughnuts are usually made in a Pon-de-Ring style that looks like a flower, and they are often topped with a sweet, colorful glaze.

Zeppole, from Southern Italy, are sweet, fried pastries often topped with fruit.

Zeppole, from Southern Italy, are sweet, fried pastries often topped with fruit.
Zeppole are topped with ricotta frosting and fruit. il viaggiatore/Shutterstock

Zeppola, a popular dessert made of fried dough, likely originated in parts of Southern Italy.

Traditional zeppole are fried, then topped with ricotta cheese or pastry cream and a fruit garnish. They are soft and airy, and the inside is usually fluffy and filled with fruit.

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Jalebis are made up of fried dough and syrup.

Jalebis are made up of fried dough and syrup.
The fried dough is soaked in saffron syrup. Rahul D Silva/Shutterstock

Jalebi, a popular dessert in India and Pakistan, looks similar to funnel cakes, which are popular in the US.

The fried dough is soaked in saffron syrup to make the inside moist and the outside crunchy. It's chewy and sweet, but the flavors and techniques vary depending on where it's made.

Churros are popular in Spain, Portugal, and Mexico.

Churros are popular in Spain, Portugal, and Mexico.
Churros are coated in sugar and cinnamon. nelea33/Shutterstock

These fried dough sticks coated in sugar and cinnamon are a popular dessert in Mexico and Spain.

In Mexico, they used to be served as a breakfast food, although now they're commonly a dessert. In Spain, they are typically dipped in melted chocolate.

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Puff puffs are a traditional snack or treat in West Africa.

Puff puffs are a traditional snack or treat in West Africa.
Puff puffs are fluffy on the inside. PlanetEarth/Shutterstock

Many places in West Africa claim origin to the fried treat called puff puff or togbei.

It's typically a ball of fried, yeasted dough that's sometimes topped with sugar or jam for added sweetness.

Oliebollen are popular in the Netherlands and filled with raisins.

Oliebollen are popular in the Netherlands and filled with raisins.
Oliebollen are sweet and crispy. Patsy73 / iStock

Oliebollen are a deep-fried Dutch pastry filled with raisins and dusted with powdered sugar.

They can also be made with chopped apple, currants, and cinnamon. In some places, they're served to ring in the new year.

Some believe that traditional American doughnuts evolved from oliebollen.

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Sufganiyot are popular in Israel during Hanukkah.

Sufganiyot are popular in Israel during Hanukkah.
Sufganiyot can be prepared with different fillings. irisphoto1/Shutterstock

Sufganiyot are similar to Germany's Berliners and Poland's pączki.

They are filled with various creams or jelly fillings, and they are usually served during Hanukkah. But they can also be enjoyed year-round.

Malasadas originated in Portugal, although they are now very popular in Hawaii.

Malasadas originated in Portugal, although they are now very popular in Hawaii.
Malasadas are prepared with a creamy filling. Melinda Podor/Getty Images

Malasadas are a fried dough treat made with yeast, eggs, butter, and sometimes evaporated or fresh milk.

Once they're fried, they're rolled in sugar, and sometimes they are filled with custard or coconut-flavored haupia pudding.

According to Eater, they originated on the island of Sao Miguel, in the Portuguese Azores, but they eventually made their way to Hawaii and became incredibly popular there.

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Sfenj is a Moroccan treat usually eaten in the morning for breakfast.

Sfenj is a Moroccan treat usually eaten in the morning for breakfast.
Sfenj is made with a yeasted dough. luaeva/Getty Images

Sfenj consists of a sticky, yeasted dough made without sugar. The pastries are traditionally enjoyed at breakfast.

Although they aren't as sweet as other treats on this list, they can be eaten with a dusting of sugar or other types of fillings and toppings.

Youtiao is like China's version of churros, without all the sugar.

Youtiao is like China's version of churros, without all the sugar.
Youtiao are similar to churros. Yu Xianda/Shutterstock

China's version of fried dough is called youtiao, also known as Chinese crullers, and they are a breakfast favorite.

The fried treats are usually served with porridge, soy milk, scallion pancakes, or steamed sticky rice.

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Sopapilla is a popular Central American treat.

Sopapilla is a popular Central American treat.
Sopapillas are usually topped with honey. TDC Photography/Shutterstock

Sopapillas can be made in several different ways, but the most popular form is as a sweet pastry.

They are basically puffy, flat pastries made with masa flour and they are topped with honey and powdered sugar after being fried.

Loukoumades are a Greek favorite.

Loukoumades are a Greek favorite.
The dough is deep-fried and soaked in honey. Candice Bell/Getty Images

Loukoumades, bite-sized sweet honey puffs, are a popular Greek dessert.

They are deep-fried until golden, then soaked in hot honey syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon, and garnished with chopped walnuts or toasted sesame seeds.

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Koeksisters are a South African dessert that comes in a few different varieties.

Koeksisters are a South African dessert that comes in a few different varieties.
Koeksisters are twisted into a braided shape. Shutterstock / Elize Lotter

This pastry is made of fried dough that's braided and coated with syrup. There are two different versions of koeksisters: the Afrikaner version and the Cape Malay version.

The Afrikaner version is sweeter and crisper. The Cape Malay koeksister has a texture like a soft cake, and it is often spicier and covered in coconut.

In Nepal, people enjoy sel roti.

In Nepal, people enjoy sel roti.
Sel roti is a sweet rice bread. Idealnabaraj/Getty Images

Sel roti is a "sweet rice bread."

It's often fried thin, and it is crunchier than most other fried desserts.

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