Dulce de leche

Dulce de leche (pronounced: [ˈdulθe ðe ˈletʃe] in Spain; pronounced: [ˈdulse ðe ˈletʃe] in Latin America; Portuguese: doce de leite [ˈdosi dʒi ˈlejtʃi] or [ˈdosɨ dɨ ˈlejtɨ]) is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a substance that derives its taste from the Maillard reaction, changing flavour and colour. Literally translated, it means "candy [made] of milk" or "sweet [made] of milk." It is popular in France, Portugal and Spain, as well as most of Latin America, notably in Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela.

Regional variants

The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form. Central Mexico had versions as manjar (vanilla flavored) or cajeta which is made from goat's milk, in the North of the country the "dulce de leche" from cow´s milk is more used. In Cuba, dulce de leche is made from soured milk that's curdled and then sweetened, called cortada. In the Dominican Republic it is made with equal parts milk and sugar with cinnamon, and the texture is more like fudge. In Puerto Rico dulce de leche is sometimes made with unsweetened coconut milk.