It’s the spookiest time of the year once again, and across the nation supermarkets are decking their shelves with a creative assortment of Halloween goodies. We are probably all familiar by now with spider-shaped cookies, doughnuts that ooze a delightfully lurid green goo, and chocolates with wrappers that look like eyeballs, but what about beyond the UK?
Join us on a whirlwind tour of the globe and discover 13 tempting treats you could sample for Halloween in foreign climes – the perfect number for a holiday that’s become so steeped in superstition.
Is that honey or ectoplasm on your Spanish hojuelas?
We all know Spain as a country rich in traditions, and plenty of events throughout the year are marked with hojuelas. Those are sugary battered bites in all manner of shapes and sizes, and you can enjoy them with all sorts of sickly Halloween accompaniments, although we recommended drizzled honey for both tradition as much as its fun oozy feel.
Chow down on ‘kitten tongues’ from the Czech Republic
Before your pet moggy starts getting worried, kitten tongues – or kočiči jazyčky – are a chocolate delicacy, named for their resemblance to the shape of a kitten’s tongue. It’s still a pretty outlandish sweet though, so keep an eye out for it if you’re in this part of Europe.
Ruffle the dragon’s beard in China
Essentially the good old candy floss we all know and love, in China it comes without any of those unwanted preservatives and you can eat it with sesame seeds, coconut, peanuts and more. It also looks like the fluffy beard of a Chinese dragon, which is always a bonus.
Sample the strange ice creams of Thailand
We all love the cuisine of Thailand, with its distinctive spices, flavours and textures. However, one thing they do well here that you might not know as much about is ice cream. How does that tie into Halloween? Well, when they serve you coconut ice cream in half a coconut shell, it does look remarkably like a scooped out skull!
Enjoy some gooey bocadillo veleno from Colombia
Also known as squares of crystallised guava, wrapped in neat little parcels of bijao leaves, bocadillo veleno is a national favourite in Colombia, and tastes surprisingly good with cheese. Who knew? It’s a good job Colombia produces as much tasty guava goodness as it does, so make sure you partake of some yourself.
Bite into a light, airy krofne from Montenegro
There’s so much history and mystery in Montenegro that you’re bound to stumble upon some ghosts from the past, but whatever you do, don’t get so surprised you drop your delicious krofne. These pastries are a lot like doughnuts, but much less dense and with a variety of fillings, from jam to chocolate sauce to custard. You’ll also find krofne in places like Croatia.
Feast on pan de muerto, Mexico’s bread of the dead
Baked in honour of Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, this bread is prepared for family trips to the graveyard and is often shaped to resemble a heap of bones. Since the Day of the Dead is the day after Halloween, an autumn jaunt to Mexico is bound to feature this sweet spooky goodness.
Enjoy the Caribbean sunshine over tostones
Deep fried plantains are a traditional treat in the Caribbean, and definitely worth your time. Their distinctive crispy flat shape makes it fun to tease the kids about what you’re eating too. Some particularly spooky parents once told their little ones their tostones were the fried ears of naughty children who asked too many questions…
Try the pale and tasty halawa of Egypt
It might look a little creepy on the outside, but halawa, made of sesame seed paste and infused with nuts, is both tasty and good for you. Stave off the heat of Egypt with this tasty treat while you’re pondering the tombs of the pharaohs. Mummies don’t come out at Halloween, right?
Soak up the flavour of Moroccan chebakia
Creepy graveyards often house flower bouquets left by mysterious benefactors, although in Morocco, the shape of a rose is also associated with chebakia. It’s a deep-fried sesame snack with honey and rosewater, and tastes so sweet that you can rest assured it’s a rose free from thorns.
Try the high impact liquorice of Iceland
The flavour of liquorice is divisive at the best of times, but in Iceland they put it in most of their sweets, including the vast majority of their chocolate brands. Think you can take it on? Be warned. Icelandic liquorice has a distinctly strong flavour.
Try the Turkish delight from – wait for it – Turkey
Even though you won’t have to travel further than the nearest supermarket to sample some of these little cubes of goodness, over in Turkey their Turkish delights come in a variety of flavours, from rose to pistachio. It’s also known as lokum to the locals, and biting into some squishy green goods for Halloween is a fine way to mark the occasion.
Slurp on some memelos in the Dominican Republic
Street food is part and parcel of local culture in the Dominican Republic. If you’re visiting, look out for the particularly delicious delicacy called memelos. It has a distinctive blood-red candied exterior, and inside sits ghost-white sweet coconut filling. Perfect for a delicious bite – vampires love these.
Feeling tempted? Let us know which of these weirdly delicious goodies you plan to sample when you take your next trip.
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