Dulce de leche

Names and similar confections

Spanish dulce de leche and Portuguese doce de leite () mean "sweet [made] of milk". Other names in Spanish include manjar ("delicacy"), arequipe and leche quemada ("burnt milk"); also in Mexico and some Central American countries dulce de leche made with goat's milk is called 'cajeta'. A famous confection from Mexico is known as cajeta de Celaya.

In the Philippines, dulce de leche made with carabao (water buffalo) milk is called dulce gatas, and is a specialty of Negros Occidental province.

In French, it is called confiture de lait (milk jam). In France, it is traditional in the regions of Normandy and Savoy, where it is commonly served with fromage blanc or crêpes.

The same confectionery is also known as kajmak in Polish cuisine, named after Turkish kaymak, a kind of clotted cream. Kajmak is most commonly used for wafers or the mazurek pie traditionally eaten at Easter.

History

There are various stories about its origin. Some reports say it originated in Indonesia in the 6th century. Argentine historian Daniel Balmaceda considers that it might have originated in the Philippines in the 4th century. Later it would have been brought from the Philippines to Spain, and finally into the Americas. Apocryphal stories also suggest it was brought to the Americas by important historical figures like Napoleon or Argentine general Juan Manuel de Rosas.

Argentine politician Rodolfo Terragno attributed its origin to India, relating it to the sweet dish rabadi, made of yogurt.

There are records of doce de leite in Minas Gerais, Brazil from 1773.

There are customs reports of importation of manjar into Argentina from Chile in 1693 and 1712. Argentine historian Víctor Ego Ducrot says it originated in the Captaincy General of Chile and would have made its diffiusion into Argentina with Army of the Andes in 1817.

Swiss naturalist Johann Rudolph Rengger reports the consumption of dulce de leche in Paraguay in his trip from 1818 to 1825.

Since 1998, at the initiative of the Argentine Center for the Promotion of Dulce de Leche and Related Products, the International Dulce de Leche Day is celebrated every October .

In 2003, Argentina attempted to declare dulce de leche as an intangible cultural heritage but countries across South America and Central America objected due to its popularity all over the continent.

Preparation

Other ingredients such as vanilla may be added for flavor. Much of the water in the milk evaporates and the mix thickens; the resulting dulce de leche is usually about a sixth of the volume of the milk used. The transformation that occurs in preparation is caused by a combination of two common non-enzymatic browning reactions called caramelization and the Maillard reaction.

Another method of preparation, similar to Russian boiled condensed milk known as "varyonaya sgushchyonka" (Ukrainian "shushchene moloko"), involves using canned or boxed sweetened condensed milk and cooking it in a pressure cooker for 20 to 25 minutes for a light color and slightly soft consistency, or 40 to 45 minutes for a darker color and firmer consistency. If using condensed milk from a box, it should be wrapped in about 5 to 6 layers of aluminum foil to prevent it from bursting.

It is also possible to place the condensed milk in a glass jar and boil it in the pressure cooker. In this method, different ingredients can also be added to the sweetened condensed milk, such as shredded coconut or peanuts. However, certain precautions need to be taken, such as wrapping the jar with a kitchen towel and lining the pressure cooker with another kitchen towel so that the bottom of the jar does not touch the cooker (as contact may cause the glass to shatter). The cooking time is similar to the previous method (around 35 to 40 minutes). Water should be added to the pressure cooker – enough to cover the cans, boxes, or jars of condensed milk. A small amount of vinegar can be added to the water in the pressure cooker to prevent it from becoming discolored at the bottom. In all cases, once ready, it is important to let the dulce de leche cool completely, which takes about 2 hours.

Use

Dulce de leche can be eaten alone, but is more commonly used as a topping or filling for other sweet foods, such as cakes, churros, cookies (see alfajor), waffles, flan cakes (aka crème caramel (known as pudim among Portuguese-speakers, and not to be confused with British pie-like variant of flan), fruits like bananas and candied figs, and ice creams; it is also a popular spread on crepes (panqueques), obleas (wafers), and toast.

Gallery

File:Dulce leche recien abierto.jpg|Dulce de leche pot File:Dulce de leche muffins.jpg|Muffins File:Flan casero con dulce de leche.JPG|Crème caramel, a variant of a flan cake File:Banoffee pie layers, February 2008.jpg|Banoffee pie File:Alfajores-de-maicena-biscuits-recipe.jpg|Corn starch alfajor File:Dulce de Leche roll.jpg|Dulce de leche roll File:Dulce de leche in the glass jar.jpg|Dulce de leche in glass jars File:Hausgemachte dulce de leche 07.04.2012 17-30-13.jpg|A can of condensed milk boiled for several hours to become varyonka, a dish similar to caramelized milk

Notes

References

References

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2. (6 April 2003). "Origen mítico del dulce de leche". [[Clarín (Argentine newspaper).
3. (September 23, 2016). "Desilusión: el dulce de leche no fue un invento argentino". [[El Cronista]].
4. Tajanlangit, Eli F.J.. (February 3, 2012). "They're stealing our dulce gatas". The Visayan Daily Star.
5. Robuchon, Joël. (2001). "Larousse Gastronomique". Octopus Publishing Group.
6. (9 April 2017). "Polish Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Mazurek". Polish Your Kitchen.
7. (14 March 2023). "The origins of dulce de leche: The sweet treat that caused an international incident". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]], 14 March 2023.
8. Vargas García, Claudia. (9 October 2023). "El diverso origen del dulce de leche".
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10. "Dulce de Leche".
11. McGee, Harold. (2004). "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen". Scribner.
12. "Doce de leite na pressão".
13. "Receita com apenas 2 ingredientes: doce de leite de panela de pressão".
14. "Doce de leite em pote "Dulce de leche in a jar"".
15. (11 September 2019). "DOCE DE LEITE ARTESANAL COM COCO, E PAÇOQUITA".