Hi, I’m Melly! I’m a professional pastry chef with a knack for chocolate artistry, a forever wanderluster, and someone who firmly believes the best way to experience a destination is through its food.
Over the past 16 years, I’ve visited 46 countries on 5 continents and blissfully eaten my way through endless local delights. Now, I’m sharing the best travel experiences and destination-inspired recipes with you, my fellow traveling foodie.
To kick off this newsletter, I’m launching a recurring series of the best pastries I’ve found around the globe in the hope that they will inspire your traveling foodie bucket list. So, let’s start at the very top with the 3 pastries I have not been able to stop thinking about since they first touched my lips.
Apple Strudel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
The first pastry takes us to the incredibly charming Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This tiny town is famous for its intricate hand-painted frescoes covering the walls of colorful homes, bakeries, and inns alike.
Even more beautiful than this gorgeous artistry, is the surrounding scenery that just won’t quit. Imagine a picturesque alpine village wafting in the scent of crisp pine trees and surrounded by dramatically jagged snow-topped mountains. So idyllic, it’s practically the setting of a fairytale. In fact, Neuschwanstein - the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle - is less than an hour away.
I was clued in to how incredible the apple strudel is in Garmisch-Partenkirchen by a friend. Little did I know, it would be the best strudel I’ve had in my life. True German strudel dough is pulled so impossibly thin that you could read a newspaper through it. The layers were so pillowy and delicate, making it easy to see that what sets an amazing strudel apart from a good one is quite simply the texture.
Mixed with the comforting flavor profile we all know and love, executed to a standard I hadn’t experienced out of Bavaria: thin slices of apple slices bathing in a velvet blanket of spices (without a speck of cornstarch to be found.) Each bite was pure heaven. I’ve had strudel in Germany before, but this one takes the cake!
Matcha Tiramisu in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto is a quick 2-hour train ride aboard Japan’s famous Shinkansen. While most call this the Bullet Train for its incredible speed, it might also be a magical portal. Going from the ultra-modern city of Tokyo, with its endless neon light displays, to Kyoto’s mix of modern meets history, feels like a whole different trip in itself. While daytime streets are bustling with city life, golden hour could lead you down narrow lanes glowing with the charm of historical buildings that give way to lantern-lit temples. It’s the kind of intriguing city that can make you feel like you’ve stepped into a traditional woodblock print.
And here, within this cultural immersion, are a plethora of worldclass pastries waiting to be discovered. But for me, there’s one flavor profile I cannot stop thinking about: the matcha tiramisu.
Tea is one of my favorite things to consume around the world (especially when it’s part of a themed Afternoon Tea.) And I have been known to restaurant hop throughout Venice to order multiple helpings of tiramisu in one night. So when I saw that matcha tiramisu as an offering in Kyoto, I knew I had to try it.
Instead of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, the base was comprised of a light-as-air sponge infused with ceremonial-grade Uji matcha. But the real showstopper was the sabayon-like mascarpone which balanced the earthy notes of the green tea. Altogether it was a perfect balance of umami, creaminess, and just a touch of sweetness which honored the soul of the classic dessert while delivering its own Japanese flair. It’s the reinvented take on a classic that I’ll happily devour again and again.
If Kyoto is called the Land of 1,000 Temples, then this dessert could be considered temple #1,001. Each tiramisu is nestled inside its own traditional wooden masu box, serving as a temple to preserve the deliciousness inside.
Chocolate Cake in Lisbon, Portugal
Getting around Lisbon can feel like a hike with its steep inclines and textured cobblestone streets. But when the sun soaks this city in its golden rays, it truly shines. Cream colored buildings appear golden between colorful pastels wrapped in Portugal’s famous azulejos tile artwork. It’s picture book architecture that makes up a traveler’s dreams. And hidden among this beautiful city is the best cake I’ve ever had in my life.
I was lucky enough to stumble upon a Food and Wine Magazine article before visiting Portugal, touting Landeau Chocolate’s cake as the best cake in the world. They did not lie.
This unassuming slice of chocolate cake has three simple layers: melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mousse sleeping upon a rich flourless cake base, topped with a generous dusting of bitter cocoa. This perfect blend of fudgy creaminess has kept me dreaming about the day when I can venture back to Lisbon to return to chocolate heaven. And yes, I somehow immediately strolled directly up the street to nosh on Portugal’s famous pastel de nata afterward. But that’s a story for another post.
Join the Journey
This is just the first stop on my long list of pastries you MUST try around the world. I’m already curating the next list for this series. But A Baker Abroad is so much more than just this series. It will be full of travel guides from my most unbelievable experiences, recipes inspired by my favorite destinations, step-by-step dessert design tutorials, as well as the best experiences, food, and places I find on my adventures. Make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss a sweet stop along this journey!
In the comments, I’d love to know: Have you tried any of these three? And what is the greatest pastry you’ve ever discovered on your own travels?