The BBC does many things right with its programming; almost every genre is covered, every taste catered for.
But if there’s one thing the BBC knows how to do better than all other TV channels, it’s to put on a fantastic cookery show.
The list of excellent cooking programmes we’ve been treated to over the years is longer than the ingredients list for a Nigella recipe.
In recent years we’ve been treated to the high drama of the revamped Masterchef, which is TV gold thanks to Greg Wallace’s one-liners alone.
But just when we thought cooking couldn’t get any tougher, along came the Great British Bake Off. Focusing on the deceptively tricky art of baking, the Great British Bake Off is quintessentially British.
With cooking institution Mary Berry and the Simon Cowell-esque Paul Hollywood judging the hopefuls’ efforts in the kitchen, the BBC has once again hit on a cooking show formula as addictive as sticky toffee pudding.
After weeks of trying and testing and baking and decorating John Whaite won the title! His intricate and utterly delicious Heaven and Hell cake, composed of lemon-and-coconut meringue mini-cakes atop a dark chocolate-and-orange cake, won plaudits from the judges.
The new series is sure to be along in 2013, but if you simply can’t wait until then, you can always try one of these tasty food hotspots.
Cider doughnuts in the USA
Given that the remaining seven contestants will be tackling the jam doughnut next week, it seemed only right that we should feature the humble doughy treat.
The country that has embraced the doughnut most wholeheartedly is the US, with the sugary snack found on almost every street in every town.
While most regions have embraced the Krispy Kreme-style doughnut, states in the north east of the US use their bumper apple crop to create cider doughnuts.
Cider is used in the batter to give the doughnut a moister, denser texture, while the apple flavour is complemented with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Danish pastries in Denmark
Pastry is a notoriously hard thing to get right, which is why so many of go for the easy option and buy it pre-made. But if you can master the art, you can create some great desserts.
One of the best uses of pastry is in a Danish pastry, a delicious, glazed, sweet bread filled with jam or custard and topped off with almonds, pecans or anything else that takes your fancy.
The Danish pastry is, of course, synonymous with Denmark and other Scandinavian countries, but the recipe originates from Austria.
When Austrian bakers went to Denmark in the 18th century they were unfamiliar with Danish recipes and so used their own. The Danes then added a little more egg to the recipe to create the lovely bun we know and love today.
Baklava in Turkey
For a pastry with a difference, you can’t wrong with baklava. A very rich dessert, baklava is made with filo pastry and sweetened with honey.
Baklava’s exact origins are unclear, but it is largely thought to have started life in Turkey. Nowadays it can be found in countries throughout the Balkans and into the Middle East, with each country putting their own spin on it.
Yet it is Turkey that’s home to some of the best and most authentic, with pistachio nuts featuring in many recipes.
Alfajores in South America
Food is a big part of life in countries throughout South America, and the desserts are no different. One of the most popular desserts is the alfajor, a cylindrical treat formed of two soft biscuits filled with jam or caramel.
Any visitor to South America will return home having eaten as many alfajores as they could get their hands on – these tasty treats are delicious and highly addictive.
There are all sorts of types of alfajores, from chocolate-covered offerings filled with caramel to powdered sugar-covered versions with a cinnamon taste.
Chocolate in Switzerland
OK, so chocolate doesn’t really fall within a baker’s domain, but it’s so yummy we had to include it. Whether it’s truffles, pralines, mousses or cakes, the Swiss know their way around a cocoa bean.
Chocolate production in Switzerland started as long ago as the 17th century, and was limited to a small number of regions.
Fast-forward to the 19th century and chocolate making was booming in Switzerland. Some of the best chocolate makers in the world can still be found in Switzerland, and there are plenty of tours on offer to let visitors indulge their sweet tooth.
(Images: Veganbaking.net, QuintanaRoo, aelita, jackie_oh, mattchepeleff)
