The history of sweets as desserts

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The human craving for sweets is biologically driven, often related to the energy and pleasure derived from ripe fruits that make sweetness enjoyable. This natural preference explains why sweets are prominent in religious and cultural rituals. Historical examples include cakes for the goddess Ishtar in Mesopotamia and baklava at the end of Ramadan in Turkey, which are early forms of desserts. The tradition of ending meals with sweets, which started in France, quickly spread across Europe and the Atlantic in the 20th century, showing how France's culinary influence helped popularize this practice.

Source

Sadaf Farooqi, Understanding the desire for dessert. Science 387,717-718(2025).DOI:10.1126/science.adv4359

Additional Reading

https://historyfacts.com/world-history/article/why-do-we-eat-sweets-dessert/

https://daily.jstor.org/the-invention-of-dessert/

https://www.tastingtable.com/1609513/why-dessert-after-dinner-history/