Don't write Italy off as just pasta, pizza, and good coffee. The Mediterranean island has a long history as a food-lovers destination, but those pursuing "la dolce vita" shouldn't overlook all the luxurious desserts on offer. Think tiramisu, biscotti, and of course, cannoli. Cannoli, delectable Sicilian treats, are crisp-fried pastry tubes filled with sweet, creamy ricotta. The BBC writes that cannoli have an ancient and surprisingly risqué history.

One story suggests that the phallic shape was specifically created (by nuns, no less) to celebrate fertility. Some convents in Scilly still produce cannoli, bringing credibility to this theory. Outside of Italy, perhaps one of the best places to sample cannoli is NYC, where over 2.6 million Italian-Americans have made their home. Immigrants helped to shape the city and its food culture, with the first wave of Italian immigrants arriving in the 1840s.