14 Must-Try Asian Desserts

A soft and springy Japanese glutinous rice cake filled with red bean paste and other sweet ingredients, usually covered with a fine layer of starch to keep them from sticking to your fingers. Created in the early Edo period, Daifuku Mochi literally means ‘Great Luck Cake’ and is very popular in Japan; with many filling variants including ice cream, apricot, strawberry, coffee, pureed chestnuts, and crème caramel.

Believed to have originated in Tokyo during the Meiji Era, this adorable fish-shaped cake has no fish but is made by cooking pancake batter in a mould that resembles the Japanese red sea-bream called Tai, hence Taiyaki. It’s chewier and denser than regular pancakes, with red bean paste or custard filling.

This Chinese delight is soybean milk boiled with gypsum powder, and then left to cool into a silky custard-like pudding, tasty and organic, with high fibre content. Though best savoured warm, fridge-cooled Tau Foo Fa is equally enjoyable.

A traditional sweet-sour dessert enjoyed since ancient times, Bingtanghulu is Chinese hawthorn made into a candied snack. The fruits’ pits and seeds are first emptied out, to be filled with red bean paste; then skewered, dipped in sugar syrup, and left to harden. The name means ‘rock sugar bottle gourd’ because the hawthorn is shaped slightly like a gourd. Modern variants also use other fruits like cherry tomatoes, mandarin oranges, grapes, blueberries, pineapple and kiwifruit.

The Chinese version of cotton candy, Loongshutang or Dragon’s Beard Candy is a handmade traditional art that according to legend, was first served to a Han Dynasty emperor. The recipe spread to all of East Asia and became a regional delicacy. Making it is complex and difficult: maltose syrup must be mixed and cooked precisely, cooled into a dough, stretched and folded repeatedly into paper-thin strands, and finally cut into small pieces to wrap around crushed peanuts or sesame seeds. Just check out this fun video. 

Reinvented from the Portuguese Pastel De Nata by Guangzhou chefs, the Chinese Egg Tart is custard baked with a crispy crust. Popular both as a tasty Dim Sum dish and a sweet pastry dessert. Best savoured fresh from the oven, with coffee or tea.

Crispy outside, chewy inside, these yummy cuties have many names across Asia. Made from glutinous rice flour, coated with sesame seeds, and filled with either lotus, black bean or red bean paste. A happy snack to enjoy any time of the day.

Grilled banana wrapped in sticky rice, this Vietnamese summer favourite will have you salivating to its sweet aroma, drizzled with coconut cream for an extra fruity flavour. A great addition to your weekend barbecue.

The Thai mango sticky rice is a creamy and appetizing dessert that combines the mild saltiness of glutinous rice and tenderness of sweet-sour mango, topped with fragrant coconut cream. A truly tropical treat.

This Thai special is probably the most creative and delicious way to enjoy pumpkin, with a unique coconut milk egg custard inside that is sure to surprise. Tasty, healthy and an awesome family treat.

Luk Chup used to be for Thai royals only, but this colourful snack has long since become a popular dessert for everyone. Made by blending mung bean, coconut milk and sugar into a paste, then shaped and coloured into this fun finger-food snack.

Sweet and bouncy, the Malaysian Dodol is a toffee-like festive treat made from coconut milk, palm sugar and glutinous rice flour. Its actual mouth-feel is more like thick, extra chewy jello, and the exotic sweetness is sure to make you smile.

Kueh Bahulu or Malaysian Madeleine is a cross-culture pastry made and enjoyed by local Chinese and Muslim communities. A dainty, fluffy treat served during festivals for its sweet and cheerful flavour.

Steamed diced yam, sweet potato and tapioca flour cubes in coconut cream soup. The Malaysian Bubur Cha Cha is a well-loved homemade dessert for all seasons. A dish with layers of sweet flavours that you can enjoy warm from the kitchen, or fridge-cooled.