Milk is an important staple in many countries, not merely as a drink but as an ingredient in other dishes and meals. As a food source, it provides calcium, protein, energy and several other nutrients that the body requires. Combining sugar with milk adds to the latter's food value and is a tradition in the cuisine of many nations. Modern innovation now offers dulce de leche in a can, making this traditional snack available as an easy-to-use option.
For the uninitiated, dulce de leche is a customary sweetened milk dish usually associated with South America, where it is common is several countries. Dulce means sweet, and it has this name because it uses sugar mixed with milk, which is then heated to make the finished item more solid in texture. Other elements, such as spice or flavorings, are also added.
Heating milk involves certain safety considerations. If the temperature is too high, the milk will catch or burn on the base of the pot. Once milk is heated, it forms a skin or coagulated layer at its surface as it loses temperature. One should heat the milk carefully, at a low temperature, while stirring it, and all at once.
There are people who heat the milk by boiling a shop-bought can of condensed milk in water, when the can is still closed. Manufactured condensed milk already contains sweeteners, so it saves effort to do this. But there is also an added danger. If the water boils away, the can will overheat and blow up. If it does this, it is unlikely to start a fire but it will make a terrible mess in the kitchen. Obviously, one should never try to heat a sealed container in a microwave.
The dish is open to individual experiments with flavor or other ingredients. Milk is easy to work with, and offers ample opportunity for indigenous adaptation. There is seemingly no limit to what one can add to it. Anything that goes with milk as a drink will potentially work in this dish too. As an example, look at any milkshake menu for ideas.
It can also be served in conjunction with other dishes. The Western tradition is to serve cake or puddings with custard, cream or ice-cream. However, the South American alternative is also dairy-based and has a pleasant texture. It is sweet enough to form part of the dessert menu, or to be served on its own. As an ingredient, it has several applications. It is used in baked goods, such as cakes or biscuits
The Indian version is known as basundi. This is made using the same technique and is subject to various regional refinements such as pistachio nuts, cheese or fruit. As with all Indian cooking, it is also made using a host of different spices.
The universal occurrence of this dish is an example of peoples' common affinity with dairy and milk. Anything based on the latter can thus be used to cater for diverse cultural occasions, because no culture or religion rejects it. Vegetarians, too, are allowed to consume it. The dish is an internationally marketable food item. The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy associated sugared milk with family love and domestic bliss, a sentiment with which people in many other countries may agree.
For the uninitiated, dulce de leche is a customary sweetened milk dish usually associated with South America, where it is common is several countries. Dulce means sweet, and it has this name because it uses sugar mixed with milk, which is then heated to make the finished item more solid in texture. Other elements, such as spice or flavorings, are also added.
Heating milk involves certain safety considerations. If the temperature is too high, the milk will catch or burn on the base of the pot. Once milk is heated, it forms a skin or coagulated layer at its surface as it loses temperature. One should heat the milk carefully, at a low temperature, while stirring it, and all at once.
There are people who heat the milk by boiling a shop-bought can of condensed milk in water, when the can is still closed. Manufactured condensed milk already contains sweeteners, so it saves effort to do this. But there is also an added danger. If the water boils away, the can will overheat and blow up. If it does this, it is unlikely to start a fire but it will make a terrible mess in the kitchen. Obviously, one should never try to heat a sealed container in a microwave.
The dish is open to individual experiments with flavor or other ingredients. Milk is easy to work with, and offers ample opportunity for indigenous adaptation. There is seemingly no limit to what one can add to it. Anything that goes with milk as a drink will potentially work in this dish too. As an example, look at any milkshake menu for ideas.
It can also be served in conjunction with other dishes. The Western tradition is to serve cake or puddings with custard, cream or ice-cream. However, the South American alternative is also dairy-based and has a pleasant texture. It is sweet enough to form part of the dessert menu, or to be served on its own. As an ingredient, it has several applications. It is used in baked goods, such as cakes or biscuits
The Indian version is known as basundi. This is made using the same technique and is subject to various regional refinements such as pistachio nuts, cheese or fruit. As with all Indian cooking, it is also made using a host of different spices.
The universal occurrence of this dish is an example of peoples' common affinity with dairy and milk. Anything based on the latter can thus be used to cater for diverse cultural occasions, because no culture or religion rejects it. Vegetarians, too, are allowed to consume it. The dish is an internationally marketable food item. The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy associated sugared milk with family love and domestic bliss, a sentiment with which people in many other countries may agree.
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