

Sweets were fed to the gods in ancient Mesopotamia : 6 and ancient India : 16 and other ancient civilizations. In the local language, these crystals were called khanda (खण्ड), which is the source of the word candy. Sugar and desserts have a long history in India: by about 500 BC, people in India had developed the technology to produce sugar crystals. In certain parts of India, these are called mithai or sweets. Some Indian confectionery desserts from hundreds of varieties. The word "dessert" is most commonly used for this course in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States, while it is one of several synonyms, including " pudding", " sweet" and " afters", in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries. The term dates from the 14th century but attained its current meaning around the beginning of the 20th century, when " service à la française" (setting a variety of dishes on the table at the same time) was replaced with " service à la russe" (presenting a meal in multiple courses).

In his book Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert (2011), Michael Krondl explains that it refers to the fact that dessert was served after the table had been cleared of other dishes. Its first known use in English was in 1600, in a health education manual entitled Naturall and artificial Directions for Health, written by William Vaughan. The word "dessert" originated from the French word desservir, meaning "to clear the table". Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses, because of its naturally occurring sweetness. The term dessert can apply to many sweets, such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, custards, gelatins, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, macaroons, sweet soups, tarts, and fruit salad. In some parts of the world, such as Greece and West Africa, and most parts of China, there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.

The course consists of sweet foods, such as candy, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. Dessert is a course that concludes a meal.
