Bittersweet : Thalia Ho

In Bittersweet, Thalia Ho, an Australia-based author and creator, explores the five tastes through more than 100 dessert recipes.

Sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami are the five tastes that shape the flavour of desserts.

Although desserts are often centred around sweetness, acidity can bring brightness and contrast, bitterness adds depth and complexity, while saltiness and umami can enhance the flavours of other ingredients. By combining these five tastes, the possibilities for dessert become remarkably diverse.

In her previous book, Wild Sweetness, Thalia Ho explored desserts inspired by nature and seasonal ingredients. In this new volume, she turns her attention to taste itself, discovering new possibilities for desserts that go beyond sweetness alone.

The recipes include singed sherbet meringues, preserved lemon pie, crème brûlée ice cream, salted egg yolk custard tart, soy ganache brownies, deep miso caramel apple pie, and white chocolate ice cream paired with caviar.

From familiar ingredients such as citrus fruits and chocolate to miso, soy sauce, chilli, and caviar, the book presents inventive combinations that move between sweetness, saltiness, and umami.

Accompanied by beautiful photography, the book explores the roles of the five tastes and the changes in flavour that emerge from combining different ingredients.
A volume that invites readers to reconsider desserts from a different perspective on taste.