🍡Not Too Sweet🍡

"Not too sweet" is the peak compliment any Asian American can receive. Every Asian culture has their own types of desserts: gulab jamun, mango sticky rice, or egg tarts. As a kid it was easy to take in loads of sugar during meals and in between. But now I've begun to find myself leaning more towards the less sugary things than before. Like drinking tea at the end of a meal rather than ice cream or eating fruits instead of a bar of chocolate. Not only does it feel healthier, but it just taste better.

Now I understand what my parents say about eating less sugar, it genuinely just tastes better compared to the heavily processed white sugar desserts I was used to. I've also seen that there are also others who lean towards desserts being "not too sweet." Typically my Asian friends. You may of heard jokes around Asians complimenting a dessert by saying it is "not too sweet" which is the best compliment one can receive. Not only is it a compliment, but its a marker or sign of a perfect Asian dessert.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the saying, not too sweet may come off as not really a compliment. In

essence when used by Asian Americans, its to compliment against the typically Western desserts that are heavy in white sugar, caramels, and chocolates. They prefer the natural taste of mango or red bean compared to sticky caramel and sugary frosting. Flavors like matcha, black sesame, mango, and lychee is what makes Asian desserts flavorful, but not too sweet.

Disclaimer, I'm aware that there are some Asian desserts that are equally if not more sugary than typically Western ones. Like gulab jamun covered in sugar, Thai iced teas that are majority sugar, and Korean dalgona which is literally just caramelized sugar candy. There are exceptions to everything, but the idea of "not too sweet" still stands.

Foods and desserts act as a way to bring a culture together and share a common trait. Almost bonding over the fact that this is something other people won't understand. "Not too sweet" became popular as many Asian bakeries became poplar and introduced a concept of desserts not having loads of sugar. Like Paris Baguette, a South Korean bakery chain that serves cakes and pastries where you'll see many Asian Americans buying birthday cakes from (my 18th birthday cake was from here, it was chocolate, really good). Shout out to Paris Baguette in Edison, NJ!

Many of my Asian friends have also begun to see themselves lean towards the not too sweet trend. Its a surprise really, to find out that we are becoming more like our parents. There is some science as to why Asian people prefer less sweet things. A 2020 study published by Food and Quality Preference, explained that people of Asian descent are more likely to be phenotypically supertasters and low sweet likers. There is also some history to it. In areas like Korea that experienced lots of famine and foot shortages, sugar just wasn't available. Although Dalgona candy existed, it was something more for special occasions. Typically the younger generation enjoys sweets more, such as adding it to chicken. But the older generations still don't have a taste for it.

Another reason is that "not too sweet" can be a sign of maturity and growing up. Ending the part of youth where we craved and depended on sugar, to then maturing and being an adult to have a preference for more "mature" tastes that reflect our culture.

Again there are exceptions to everything and there are plenty of Asian desserts that are extremely sweet. There are also many, many Asian people who enjoys these sweets and have a sugar tooth. "Not too sweet" isn't mean to encompass and speak for every Asian there is, that's just not fair or right. Everyone has their own tastes, to each their own and although "not too sweet" is typically an Asian thing to say, it doesn't represent the opinion of every Asian.

Not too sweet, can also refer to the unique flavors that come with each dish. Typically Indians use brown sugar or jaggery which has lots of fiber and is not the same as the very processed white sugar. To me, white sugar is very plain and have no other flavor than just sweet. But brown sugar or the sugar from sugar canes has another flavors that mix into it, earthy tones or hints of honey. Sugars like palm, date sugar, and sugar cane are used in Asian deserts to make things very sweet, but it is still very different from the typically white sugar that is used. Not too sweet can very much also be used to references having a balance of unique flavors that comes from generations of dessert recipes.

"Not too sweet" doesn't just mean that the dessert isn't sweet and that Asian desserts shouldn't be sweet. It's rather a saying that is meant for Asians and Asian Americans to bond over. It's more of a way of holding on to a piece of culture and their identity, where they have a preference for their own way of doing life. It's a lot more than it being not too sweet.