When I arrived in Italy, I had only two desires: to drink coffee the way the Italians do and to eat pasta every day. But dessert was a real discovery for me. I tried Sicilian cannoli, and ever since, it's become my new culinary sensation.

It's a tube of dough, crisp as thin ice, with a delicate ricotta filling with orange zest inside. I bought my first one by accident, simply because the line at a small street stall turned out to be suspiciously long. I stood there, holding this dessert in my hands, surrounded by the noise, the smell of fresh bread, and the voices of people talking too fast for me to understand.

From that moment on, I developed a habit of looking for cannoli in every city I visit. Their flavor is never exactly the same: some have pistachios, others cherry cream, some are impossibly sweet, and others are barely perceptible. And therein lies a special pleasure—comparing and being surprised each time.

I think culinary discoveries make travel different. You can visit museums and photograph architecture, but it's food that captivates you most. It becomes a memory. The taste of cannoli will now always remind me of sunny Italy, the bustling streets, and that light feeling of happiness when you find something unique.

And yes, now when people ask me about my favorite dessert, I no longer name the usual cakes or pastries. I say "cannoli" and immediately smile.