"Decadent" dessert?

[MayChen]

Hello everyone,

Recently I found out some dessert cookbooks with the title "decadent dessert", but I wonder why use the adjective "decadent"?
I looked it up in the dictionary and the meaning (which means low moral standard) made me confused.

Is it a metaphor? Or are there other meanings in the word "decadent"?

Thank you in advance!

 

[DaylightDelight]

Decadent in this context means "extremely pleasing."

 

[RedwoodGrove]

It's a metaphor but it's also a bit of an exaggeration. The idea is that it's so pleasurable (as DD points out) that it is sinful. Also, the desserts are so rich they are rather fattening, and of course that's definitely a sin in the modern world. The usage has been around for a few decades. I seem to recall the phrase "divine decadence" from the movie Cabaret (1972), with Liza Minelli.

 

[MayChen]

It's a metaphor but it's also a bit of an exaggeration. The idea is that it's so pleasurable (as DD points out) that it is sinful. Also, the desserts are so rich they are rather fattening, and of course that's definitely a sin in the modern world. The usage has been around for a few decades. I seem to recall the phrase "divine decadence" from the movie Cabaret (1972), with Liza Minelli.

To RedwoodGrove,

Wow! That's a professional answer! Thank you very much!
Btw, I googled the movie, Cabaret, and it seems great and is valuable to watch! Thanks again!

Decadent in this context means "extremely pleasing."

To DaylightDelight,
Thank you for the answer!