Condensed milk

Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed. It is most often found in the form of sweetened condensed milk (SCM), with sugar added, and the two terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condensed milk" are often used synonymously today. Sweetened condensed milk is a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. Condensed milk is used in numerous dessert dishes in many countries.

A related product is evaporated milk, which has undergone a more complex process and which is not sweetened. Evaporated milk is known in some countries as unsweetened condensed milk.

History

According to the writings of Marco Polo, in the 13th century the Tatars were able to condense milk. Marco Polo reported that ten pounds (4.5 kg) of milk paste was carried by each man, who would subsequently mix the product with water. However, this probably refers to the soft Tatar curd (katyk), which can be made into a drink (ayran) by diluting it, and therefore refers to fermented, not fresh, milk concentrate.