Around the world in 5 summer desserts

For those with a sweet tooth, here are the finest summer desserts you’ll find around the world.

Summer pudding, UK

This classic British dessert is perfect for balmy summer evenings. Made with seasonal berries set within juice-soaked bread or brioche and served with a dollop of thick cream, it’s prepared overnight and the result is always both wonderfully rich and refreshing. Slice it open the next day for the bright fuschia and purple centre to tumble out onto your plate. Check into this beautiful Bungalow in Notting Hill, an area rife with restaurants, or make a summer pudding of your own to enjoy in the sun-dappled garden.

Affogato, Italy

‘Affogato’ means ‘drowned’ in Italian, referring to the way scoops of gelato are drenched with espresso to create this indulgent dessert. The glass or bowl needs to be chilled to allow the coffee to not immediately melt the ice cream, instead just gliding over it and pooling beneath. The contrast between hot and cold, as well as the sharpness of the coffee paired with the sweet smoothness of the gelato, is truly beautiful to behold. Head to Rome for a mean affogato, staying in the highly rated Vatica B&B Roma, right in the city centre.

Kulfi, India

Kulfi is the summer dessert of dreams; not dissimilar to typical ice cream, it’s a rich and creamy concoction delicately flavoured with Indian spices, such as saffron and cardamom. It’s also often topped with pistachios, or sometimes sweetened with mango puree or rosewater. Having originated in the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, the fact that it’s still so popular today (usually cone-shaped and eaten like a lollipop), is testament to its deliciousness. The Hindustan Times rates the kulfi at Kuremal Mahavir Prasad Kulfiwale in Sita Ram Bazar in Delhi; stay nearby at the gorgeous WelcomHeritage Haveli Dharampura.

Pavlova, Australia

Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this show-stopping dessert is as delectable as it is good-looking. Though New Zealanders will dispute the claim that it originated in Australia (despite much research, the debate has not been fully settled), it nevertheless is a huge part of the latter country’s food identity. Expect a crunchy, crumbly and ideally light-as-a-feather meringue shell, topped with whipped cream and a variety of fruit toppings (passion fruit is a go-to option, while blueberries with mango, kiwis and strawberries are pretty darn good, too). Head to Melbourne (widely regarded as Australia’s culinary capital) for some of the country’s finest pavlovas, staying at the fashionable QT Melbourne.

Halo-halo, Philippines

This kitsch-looking Filipino dessert is akin to an ice-cream sundae, with layers of sweetened beans, fresh fruits, sago, evaporated milk and a topping of shaved ice. Served in a tall glass, the ice absorbs the milk and combines with the other ingredients for a really incomparable flavour; the name ‘halo-halo’ means ‘mix-mix’. With every bite bringing a different taste and texture, it’s the combination of all of these unusual ingredients that makes this dessert so special. Stay on the Philippines’ Busuanga Island at Alam Indah Busuanga Beach Villas.