What's for dessert?

Who hasn't asked that question a zillion times. But the answer can get boring: coffee cake, cookies, brownies ...

Instead, how about some gianiotiko, keermohn, sfoglatelle, or champurda? You can get your mouth around these words - and around the sweets themselves - by touring ethnic bakeries.

About 25,000 immigrants move to the state each year, so it's no wonder that there's been a surge in ethnic restaurants, markets, and bakeries.

As we perused the bakeries, we discovered a diversity of desserts. The common ingredients may be sugar and flour, but what each country does with these basics can be worlds apart. Sweetened bean purees are popular in Asian countries, coconut is favored in the Caribbean, and Italians have developed myriad uses for almonds, for example.

Join us as we take you beyond brownies and show you just how sweet the world can be.

South America and the Caribbean
Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemela, Haiti, Jamaica

Asia
China, India, Japan, Korea

Europe
France, Ireland, Italy, Jewish/Eastern European, Portugal, Sweden

Middle East
Armenia, Greece, Lebanon, Iran

Lise Stern is author of "The Boston Food Lover."