Milk is a very important part of the meal, or as an item of food on its own. It has animal protein, carbohydrates and fats for energy, and other micronutrients essential to good health. Adding sugar to milk is a culinary technique that enhances its nutritional value and forms part of traditional cooking for many people. Nowadays, you can even have dulce de leche in a can, with all the convenience of an off-the-shelf product.
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.
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 used in other dishes. Custard, ice-cream or cream are typically served with desserts, but because dulce de leche is so similar to them, both in ingredients and texture, it has the same potential applications. It can also be served after the meal as a stand-alone item. Some people use it in their baking.
Indian cuisine has a similar dish called basundi. Basundi is made in exactly the same way and, depending on the region, may be mixed with cheese, fruit or pistachio nuts. It is also prepared using the usual Indian variety of spices.
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.
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 used in other dishes. Custard, ice-cream or cream are typically served with desserts, but because dulce de leche is so similar to them, both in ingredients and texture, it has the same potential applications. It can also be served after the meal as a stand-alone item. Some people use it in their baking.
Indian cuisine has a similar dish called basundi. Basundi is made in exactly the same way and, depending on the region, may be mixed with cheese, fruit or pistachio nuts. It is also prepared using the usual Indian variety of spices.
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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