Cajeta

''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour and colour from non-enzymatic browning. It is typically used to top or fill other sweet foods.

Names and similar confections

Spanish ''dulce de leche'' and Portuguese ''doce de leite'' () mean "sweet adeof 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'.

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 Latin America. 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.

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

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. There are customs reports of importation of ''manjar'' into Argentina in 1693 and 1712.

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

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 national patrimony but countries across South America and Central America objected due to its popularity all over the continent.

Preparation

The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar, stirring almost constantly until the sugar dissolves (baking soda then can be added), after more constant stirring (between 1.5 – 2 hours) until the mixture thickens and finally turns a rich brown golden-brown colour.

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)."Homemade dulce de leche with coconut and peanut paçoca" - 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) (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

See also

* Baked milk – beverage derived from milk
* Banoffee pie – English dessert pie
* Basundi – Indian sweet
* Brunost – Norwegian cheese
* Caramel – confectionery product made by heating sugars
* Caramel candy – confectionery product made by heating sugars
* Crème caramel – custard dessert with soft caramel on top
* Condensed milk – milk from which water has been removed and sugar added
* Custard – semi-solid cooked mixture of milk and egg
*
* Manjar blanco – term used in Spanish-speaking area of the world in reference to milk-based delicacies
* Penuche – candy
* Russian candy – sweet toffee-like dessert
* Ryazhenka – fermented dairy beverage
* Sandesh – Bengali confectionery
*
* Tres leches cake – dessert

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dulce De Leche
Argentine cuisine
Brazilian confectionery
Colombian cuisine
Confectionery
Cuban cuisine
Dominican Republic cuisine
Latin American cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Milk desserts
Paraguayan cuisine
Spreads (food)
Uruguayan cuisine
Venezuelan cuisine
Creamy dishes