Exotic flavors of Baton Rouge

Here in Baton Rouge, we’re fortunate to have a fairly diverse dining scene. Unlike many cities, which are lucky to have a single sushi restaurant, Baton Rouge residents can choose from dozens of different cuisines when they dine out. If you missed out on last week’s International Tasting Fair, there are still plenty of places where you can sample desserts with distant origins. Here are just a handful. Baklava: Baton Rouge wouldn’t be Baton Rouge without its population of Greek and Lebanese restaurants—so plentiful we risk taking them for granted. And then you meet people who have never heard of baklava—sweet, flaky pastry, stuffed with nuts and saturated in honey. How can they live without it? Kheer: Though our Indian restaurants are few, they all serve a tasty version of the country’s dessert staple, kheer. Consisting mainly of milk and rice, boiled into a pudding with white sugar, the dish is then flavored with cardamom and topped with nuts and dried fruit. Both India’s Restaurant and Bay Leaf serve absolutely delicious versions of this traditional dessert. Khao neeo mamuang: This Thai dish is a mouthful for the non-native speaker, so you’re more likely to find it listed on menus as something like “mango and sweet rice.” When mangos are in season—like right now—you’ll find this dessert as a special at nearly every one of Baton Rouge’s Thai joints. With sweet rice simmered in coconut milk and sugar, topped with juicy slices of fresh mango, it makes for an unusual and filling finish to a plate of Pad Thai.