Top 5 Most Popular Desserts in America

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(http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/foo...in-america.htm)

by Charles W. Bryant

Since humans started eating food, they've craved sweet things. Early on, it was all berries and honey, but with the introduction of refined sugar, the dessert was born. The name dessert comes from the French word "desservir" which means "to clear away" -- in this case, the dinner table. Depending on where you are in the world, you'll get a wide variety of the post-meal sweet treats. In China, it might contain red beans or dates. In Mexico, the custard-like flan could be on the menu. The French are known for their pastries, and Greece and the Middle East serve up plenty of baklava. A sushi meal in Japan might be followed by wagashi, and if you're in Latin America, some dulce de leche may be in your future.

In the United States, the sweeter the dessert is, the better. Most American desserts originated in other countries. But Americans have certainly put their own spin on a wide variety of foreign classics -- so much so that some of the most popular desserts have become synonymous with the United States. Just the words "apple pie" conjure up visions of white picket fences and baseball. So join us here at HowStuffWorks for a lip-smacking tour of the most popular desserts the United States has to offer.

5. CHEESECAKE



No, New Yorkers didn't invent it -- but you can tell them that. There's some speculation, but most people trace the first cheesecakes back to Ancient Greece. In fact, athletes at the first Olympic Games were served small versions of this dessert in 776 B.C. [source: whatscookingamerica.net]. In A.D. 1000, the cheesecake made its way to the United Kingdom and Europe by way of the Roman Army. From there, it eventually found the United States.

Recipes vary, but the key ingredient to this dessert is, not surprisingly, cheese. The most common cheeses in the modern version of cheesecake are cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta and Neufchatel. The New York version that's become so famous uses cream cheese along with eggs, cream, sugar and usually a graham cracker crust. While there are a seemingly unlimited number of variations on this classic, New York style cheesecake is served plain with no other ingredients or toppings. Other variations pack in or are topped with fruits, cookies, peanut butter and pretty much any other decadent ingredient you can think of.

You can find cheesecakes on most dessert menus in restaurants around the United States, but sales of frozen cheesecakes are where the big bucks are. Dessert maker Sara Lee is the leading seller of frozen cheesecake, with sales in 2004 topping $80 million [source: aibonline.org].

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4. JELL-O



There's always room for Jell-O. At least that's what the dessert's famous ad slogan says. Jell-O is actually a brand name, but it has become synonymous with any kind of gelatin dessert. It's called "America's Most Famous Dessert" and is extremely popular with children and retirement homes all over the Unites States. There's a fun appeal to the jiggling, and it's a colorful classic for the kids. It's easy to make and there's virtually no cleanup required. Add boiling water to the powdered mix and chill for a few hours, and the kids are happy. It's no wonder it's so popular with moms around the country.*

Here's something mom probably never told you -- gelatin is a processed version of collagen, a natural protein found in the tendons, ligaments and tissues of mammals. It's made by boiling the connective tissues, bones and skins of animals. For Jell-O, it usually comes from cows and pig bones and hooves. Take that powdered gelatin, some artificial sweetener and food coloring, and somehow you have a very popular dessert. Chalk one up for the advertising business.

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3. APPLE PIE



Nothing says America like "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet." That popular ad jingle was created for car maker Chevrolet in 1974 and was an instant success. Why did the advertisers choose apple pie? Probably becaus*e of the classic 1950s images of well-dressed moms cooling fresh-baked apple pies in kitchen windows. Problem is, apple pie wasn't born in the United States.

Apple pies or tarts date all the way back to Europe in the 14th century. The first apple pie recipes are from 1390, and they used honey in place of the seldom-used sugar. In the 1700s, the pie became pretty popular in the United Kingdom and was brought over to the new American colonies. The apple pie was regularly found in American cookbooks in the 18th century, but the famous ala mode version, topped with vanilla ice cream, didn't come into fashion until the 19th century in New York.

Because of the "red, white and blue" connotations, you can find apple pie on picnic tables all over the country every 4th of July when Americans celebrate their independence from England. The two most popular versions of the dessert are the traditional flakey crust variety and the Dutch, or crumb, apple pie. Most folks prefer it fresh and warm from the oven, but frozen apple pies are big sellers as well -- just ask Sara Lee.

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