International Cuisine

One may not believe, but the Cupcake fetish is an international phenomenon. I witnessed this firsthand on my recent venture to Europe, where I studied in the Netherlands for five months.

In my multitude of travels, I came across numerous cupcake shoppes and distributors that offered the yummy delicacies in all sizes and flavors. I never thought before that the Cupcake business had spread worldwide, but indeed it had!

One of my favorite memories of cupcakes abroad was on our visit to Ireland. My dear friend Mateja and I had journeyed to Belfast as part of our ten day trip to the U.K. We were staying with a friend of mine, a local, who showed us around the city in her parents' car. I remember seeing the store window advertising delicious cupcakes and thinking, we need to go back!

Later the next day, our friend was kind enough to walk us back to the shoppe, Once Upon a Cupcake, to get a better look inside. We entered and I immediately loved the quaintess of the shoppe. It was very hip and trendy, as it doubled as a milkshake maker. We awed at the various types of cupcakes, some that you would never see in the States. For example, Smarties is a brand of itty bitty chocolates in Europe, much similar to M&Ms (except better!). Anyhow, the shoppe had a Smarties Cupcake, along with many other unique flavors only found in Europe. I was astounded.

A few days prior, we had tasted a yummy cupcake during our 3-day stay in London. A friend of a friend had recommended a local cupcake shoppe in the Notting Hill Market, which we visited (and I must say much resembles the film!). We each ordered a yummy delight at Hummingbird cafe, notorious in the market for its scrumptious mini cakes! The store was super crowded, so Mateja and I had to eat outside. She found the cupcake quite sweet and buttery, as did I, but the experience of cupcake eating in London was quite delightful!

And my favorite place of all was a small hole-in-the wall, Mugs and Muffins, that I discovered in Tilburg, the city in which I was studying. I believe it opened about halfway into my stay in Tilburg. While I never tried one of their cupcakes, I did have a muffin (and coffee!) there, which suited my taste buds quite amiably! I first discovered the yumminess of it all with my friend Maria who had come to visit me, and later ventured back a time or two on my own for a relaxing moment in my own little cupcake oasis abroad!

As you can see, cupcakes are truly a worldwide phenomenon. I think they will take over the world one day, perhaps...!

I would love to hear from you if you have seen any cupcake shoppes in your travels...any suggestions of places I should be on the lookout for next time I venture outside the US?