The notion of sweet is used to refer to a flavor that is not salty, bitter or sour, but rather has a pleasant effect on the palate. Certain foods that have this flavor are also known as "sweets", generally when prepared with sugar .
Milk , for its part, is the substance produced by female mammals to feed their young. Said liquid, subjected to certain treatments, is used in human nutrition.
Taking these definitions into account, we can understand what dulce de leche is. It is a food product that is obtained by cooking milk with sugar and is used in the preparation of desserts , cakes , pies and other foods.
Also known as manjar , arequipe or cajeta , dulce de leche is native to South America . The exact origin, however, is uncertain, since there are different versions that place it in countries such as Argentina , Chile , Uruguay and Paraguay .
Although in this case the word "manjar" is used as a proper name, it is not surprising that it is one of the several ways of referring to dulce de leche, since for many people it is a true delight. Like jam, dulce de leche is very versatile in terms of its application, since it can be used to spread bread, cakes, cookies or practically any other product made with flour . This without leaving aside its combination with fruit: one of the most common desserts in Argentina simply consists of slicing a banana and adding a spoonful of dulce de leche.
The traditional preparation of dulce de leche involves boiling the milk with sugar and vanilla essence for several hours, until the milk evaporates and the sugar caramelizes. In addition, a little baking soda is usually added so that caramelization is achieved faster.
It is important to mention that the best-known dulce de leche is made with cow 's milk. However, it is also possible to find dulce de leche made with sheep's milk or goat's milk . There is also the vegan option, which does not use any animal products, but instead replaces the milk with a soy, almond or oat drink, among others.
These last two alternatives are the ones that respond to the vegan dulce de leche recipe , and of the two the most common is soy milk. Other vegetable drinks offer interesting results, especially in flavor, but they are less advisable because the same consistency cannot be achieved with them.
Its preparation can take around an hour, although this does not mean that it is easy. Broadly speaking, you will need 2 cups of non-dairy milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla extract. First of all, you need to put the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. At that point you should lower the heat and let it continue boiling until the milk is reduced by half. It is important not to forget to stir slowly every few minutes to prevent it from sticking. Also, as the amount of milk decreases, try to lower the heat more so that the sugar does not caramelize. After forty minutes you will have just over a cup of dulce de leche. If you want it thicker you should leave it longer.
Finally, it is worth noting that, beyond its usual creamy presentation, dulce de leche is marketed as candy ( caramel de dulce de leche ) and as ice cream ( gelato de dulce de leche ).