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Sugared almonds, mithai, tteok, snowball cookies, knafeh and more. The sweets served at weddings around the world, what they symbolise and how to use them.
Around the world, wedding desserts are rarely just dessert. Sugared almonds in Italy and Greece wish the couple health and happiness, Indian families share laddu and other mithai, Korean celebrations use colourful rice cakes called tteok, Iranian couples have sugar cones rubbed above their heads, and snowball-style cookies turn up at Mexican-American and other weddings. The common thread is sweetness as a wish for the marriage. Which sweets appear depends on the country, region and family, so ask before you plan.
Wedding desserts by culture: Italy, Greece, Sugared almonds (confetti, koufeta), Given in fives for happiness, health, long life, wealth and fertility; India and South Asia, Mithai such as laddu, barfi, jalebi, Shared as greeting, hospitality and celebration; Korea, Tteok (rice cakes), Celebratory food at banquets, including wedding parties; Iran, Noghl, baklava, sugar cones, A wish for a sweet life together; Mexico and the US, Polvorones, "Mexican wedding cookies", Crumbly nut shortbread for weddings and holidays; Levant, Knafeh, Syrup-soaked cheese pastry for special occasions; Norway, Denmark, Kransekake, Tower of almond rings, often the wedding cake itself.
Sugar-coated almonds are one of the oldest wedding sweets still in use. As favours they are traditionally packed in groups of five to stand for happiness, health, long life, wealth and fertility. In Italy they are confetti, with Sulmona the best-known producer, and in Greece they are koufeta. The same source traces them back to honey-coated almonds in ancient Rome, with sugar replacing honey once it became available. Iranian weddings have their own version, noghl, on the ceremony spread.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and across the diaspora, sweets are part of almost every celebration. Laddu is often served at weddings, and mithai more broadly is used as a greeting, a gift and a sign of hospitality. Expect several kinds, from milk-based barfi to syrupy gulab jamun and jalebi. Traditional Indian wedding food covers the savoury side of the menu.
Korean rice cakes come in dozens of forms. Tteok are used at banquets, rites and festive events, and rainbow-layered mujigae tteok is specifically associated with parties including wedding feasts. See Korean wedding food for the full meal.
At an Iranian ceremony, two sugar cones are rubbed together above the couple's heads, and the ceremony cloth carries baklava, noghl and rice and almond cookies. The symbolism is direct: a wish for sweetness in married life. Middle Eastern wedding food covers the rest of the region's wedding table.
The crumbly, powdered-sugar cookies sold in the US as "Mexican wedding cookies" go by many names. They trace back to medieval Arab shortbread, travelled through Spain and reached Mexico, where pecans often replaced almonds. By the 20th century they were a US staple at weddings, Christmas and Easter. Families call them polvorones, Russian tea cakes or snowballs. For more Mexican dishes, see Mexican wedding food.
Knafeh is spun pastry layered with cheese and soaked in syrup, served on special occasions and holidays, with Nablus in Palestine known as its home. Served warm, it works well as a late-evening dessert station.
Some cultures skip the Western layer cake altogether, or serve a traditional sweet alongside it. Norway and Denmark have kransekake, a tower of almond rings, France has the croquembouche, and much of the Caribbean has rum-soaked black cake. These are covered in wedding cakes around the world.
A mixed dessert table. Put both families' sweets side by side, with a small card saying what each one is. It gets guests talking. Favours with meaning. Five sugared almonds or a small box of mithai at each place is cheaper than most favours and carries a story. Late-night sweets. Knafeh or jalebi served warm later in the evening can replace a second dessert course. Check allergies. Almonds, pistachios and other nuts are in many of these sweets. Collect dietary needs with RSVPs and label the table clearly.
Traditional sweets are often made at home by a relative who knows the recipe. If someone offers, agree early on quantities, when the sweets will be delivered and who will set them out. Home bakers may need a venue's permission to bring food in, so check the catering contract before anyone starts cooking.
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