Desserts are a major aspect of culinary life in Asia, but are presented very simply, usually just in a bowl.

Mai Pham shared desserts from her native Vietnam. It’s a cuisine of layering—the ingredients are separate. Because ovens aren’t common in Vietnam, most desserts are boiled, steamed, grilled, or served as a beverage. Beverage desserts are popular, such as ice red bean pudding with coconut milk. Tapioca strands, a splash of syrup, and shaved coconut are added and it is served with a straw. Sweets are frequently bought from street vendors and enjoyed on the spot. Bags of fruit are sold, prepped, and ready to eat. Pineapple is enjoyed after being dipped into pounded chiles, salt, and sugar. Ice cream carts are popular, but offer a very different selection from a Good Humor truck: coconut ice cream is topped with nuts, taro root, squash, jack fruit, and mung beans. Many desserts are based on sticky rice. One dessert combines rice with mung beans. It is garnished with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and freshly shredded coconut.

Chai Siriyarn explained the primary dessert ingredients in Thailand as being:

• Thickeners: Sweet sticky rice, rice flour, arrowroot, tapioca, mung bean flour.
• Sugars: White granulated, palm sugar (raw sap from coconut palm tree, found in the can or fresh).
• Duck eggs: Larger yolks, more viscous whites.
• Coconut: Meat and milk. There are several kinds of coconut milk available. Lighter versions are used as a cooking liquid, others are richer and creamier, Very rich varieties are used as toppings on sticky rice.
• Pandan: Leaves and concentrate.

Growing coconuts is like growing grapes. Soils, varieties, and processing all affect the color, flavor, aroma, and texture of coconut milk. Smoked coconut is a traditional Thai dessert flavor; a special candle made from beeswax, paraffin, and perfume is lit, blown out, and put in a closed container with the coconut. The candles are unavailable in the United States; Pichet Ong makes his own.

Daniel Tay spoke about the characteristics of durian. It is a gnarly large fruit with very smelly pulp inside. In Asian markets in the U.S., it can be bought whole. In Asian markets abroad the pulp is sold in packets. It is often combined with coconut milk to mellow the flavor; use small amounts, like a perfume. It is known as an acquired taste. Durian was served at the event in the pastry cream filling in a cream puff; about half the chefs in attendance enjoyed it. If you are given the opportunity to try some, proceed—but with caution.