As a snack or element of a meal, milk is an important option. It contains protein, energy and minerals, as well as other nutrients needed for a healthy body. The addition of sugar makes the milk more nutritious. It is now possible to have dulce de leche in a can, giving you the ready-made advantages of this traditional dairy treat.
For those who have never tried it, dulce de leche is a traditional sweet dairy preparation in most South American countries. The Latin dulce indicates that it is sweet, and this is as a result of the solution of sugar in the milk base. The combined ingredients are heated slowly to produce a crumbly, crystallized (not to mention delicious) milk dish. Other ingredients, such as cinnamon, cardamom or vanilla, may also be added.
In preparing the milk, the usual precautions have to be followed. Heating milk too quickly causes it to "catch" on the bottom of the pot or saucepan. Also, heated milk that has been allowed to cool will form a skin or solid layer on its surface. One therefore needs to heat the milk as slowly as possible and stir it continuously, in a single operation.
Some people make dulce de leche by boiling a sealed tin of condensed milk in water. Commercial condensed milk products are usually already sweetened, so the convenience of this method is obvious. However, this is also hazardous because the tin is airtight, and a raised temperature causes its contents to expand. If the pot is abandoned on the stove, the water will boil off and the exposed tin will explode. It may not start a fire but the clean-up job will be extensive. And, of course, this method should never be attempted in a microwave oven.
Dulce de leche presents an open opportunity for recipe experimentation, in terms of flavor or other desired additions. Milk is a very general base to use, so it can accommodate any local taste or tradition. Anything that is drunk with milk is a possibility. One has only to look at all the different milkshakes out there for ideas.
The dish can also be used as a complement to other dishes. Usually, people have their cake or dessert with ice-cream or custard. The South American equivalent is also made of milk and has a suitable texture. It is sweet, so it makes a good dessert item, even on its own. It is also used as an ingredient in baking, such as in cakes or cookies.
In India, a similar product known as basundi is made. Its method of preparation is the same, and it is combined with fruit or cheese to produce local variations. Indian cooking uses an extensive range of spices, and basundi is no exception to this.
This multinational success illustrates how people everywhere enjoy dairy. Any product that has milk as its main ingredient is therefore available to international caterers, since no religious practice or cultural preference disallows it. It is also suitable for use by vegetarians. Dulce de leche is an adaptable generic treat. We may have lost our milk teeth, but we can still cater to our sweet tooth.
For those who have never tried it, dulce de leche is a traditional sweet dairy preparation in most South American countries. The Latin dulce indicates that it is sweet, and this is as a result of the solution of sugar in the milk base. The combined ingredients are heated slowly to produce a crumbly, crystallized (not to mention delicious) milk dish. Other ingredients, such as cinnamon, cardamom or vanilla, may also be added.
In preparing the milk, the usual precautions have to be followed. Heating milk too quickly causes it to "catch" on the bottom of the pot or saucepan. Also, heated milk that has been allowed to cool will form a skin or solid layer on its surface. One therefore needs to heat the milk as slowly as possible and stir it continuously, in a single operation.
Some people make dulce de leche by boiling a sealed tin of condensed milk in water. Commercial condensed milk products are usually already sweetened, so the convenience of this method is obvious. However, this is also hazardous because the tin is airtight, and a raised temperature causes its contents to expand. If the pot is abandoned on the stove, the water will boil off and the exposed tin will explode. It may not start a fire but the clean-up job will be extensive. And, of course, this method should never be attempted in a microwave oven.
Dulce de leche presents an open opportunity for recipe experimentation, in terms of flavor or other desired additions. Milk is a very general base to use, so it can accommodate any local taste or tradition. Anything that is drunk with milk is a possibility. One has only to look at all the different milkshakes out there for ideas.
The dish can also be used as a complement to other dishes. Usually, people have their cake or dessert with ice-cream or custard. The South American equivalent is also made of milk and has a suitable texture. It is sweet, so it makes a good dessert item, even on its own. It is also used as an ingredient in baking, such as in cakes or cookies.
In India, a similar product known as basundi is made. Its method of preparation is the same, and it is combined with fruit or cheese to produce local variations. Indian cooking uses an extensive range of spices, and basundi is no exception to this.
This multinational success illustrates how people everywhere enjoy dairy. Any product that has milk as its main ingredient is therefore available to international caterers, since no religious practice or cultural preference disallows it. It is also suitable for use by vegetarians. Dulce de leche is an adaptable generic treat. We may have lost our milk teeth, but we can still cater to our sweet tooth.
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