Dulce de Leche
There is nothing than can quite compare to this delicious caramel spread.
Dulce de leche, also known as “milk candy” –exact translation, is a creamy brownish substance. It is a very popular and traditional desert in Argentina made over many hours by caramelizing sugar in milk.
There is an interesting legend upon this popular sweet cream that took place in Juan Manuel de Rosas’ house, a famous Argentine politician, around the XIXth century.
The story says that in a winter afternoon at Rosas' house, someone knocked on the door while the maid was cooking some “lechada”, a sort of drink made with sugar and milk boiled until it begins caramelizing. She left the “lechada” on the stove and went to answer the door. When she came back she realized the lechada was burnt and had turned into a brownish jam.
Similar Latin American products are known across the world like the Mexican cajeta, arequipe in Colombia and Venezuela which are very similar in cooking preparation. However the Argentine dulce de leche is unique.
Nowadays the production of dulce de leche has industrialized and it is made with the purest fresh milk from Argentine cows grazing the Argentine pampas.
The typical Argentine consumes form 3 to 5 kilograms of dulce de leche per year. Surely Argentines know what it is good and tasty! The cooking industrial process for dulce de leche is the same to what it used to be in the beginning and gourmets carry out in their kitchens.
Dulce de leche was discovered accidentally and became a popular all over the world. Then if you come to Argentina you should try the original Argentine dulce de leche unless you want to try it preparing yourself. In that case here’s the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 liters of milk
- 800 grams of fine sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 full tablespoons vanilla essence
- 3/4 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate
- Add the ingredients in the order above to a big pot over very low heat.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until it is well blended and cook slowly, stirring often until the milk thickens and turns as caramel.
Dulce de leche is usually spread on bread, toast, toast with butter as any jam and it also used as a filling for other Argentine typical dessert. Dulce de Leche has a spectacularly delicious taste and a silky-smooth texture that certainly can satisfy even the most discriminating palate. Post a Comment
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