Dulce de leche is a typical Latin American delicacy and there are many versions about its origin. The Argentine historian Víctor Ego Ducrot states that this sweet was born in Chile and from there it moved to the Cuyo region of Argentina, where it began to be used as a filling for alfajores. However, there is a popular story that attributes the origin of dulce de leche to an oversight by a maid of Juan Manuel de Rosas . This story tells that while she was boiling milk with sugar (to prepare “lechada”) she saw that Juan Lavalle , who was waiting for Rosas to sign a peace pact, had gone to bed on her boss’s cot. The maid then went to report Lavalle’s audacity to the guards, forgetting the milk on the fire for a long time, and when she returned she found that it had thickened and turned brown. It is said that Rosas and Lavalle tried it and liked it, but this story becomes a myth when we understand that dulce de leche could not have been produced without stirring the preparation. In his book on Argentine gastronomy “The flavors of the Homeland”, Ducrot maintains that the spread of dulce de leche in the Río de La Plata occurred when the Army of the Andes arrived in Chile, and that it was our beloved General José de San Martín who discovered the sweet and took the recipe to Peru and Argentina. Although Chile has not made claims, Uruguay affirms that dulce de leche is a River Plate heritage and not exclusively Argentine. In 2003, when the Secretary of Culture of the Nation of Argentina tried to declare dulce de leche, asado and empanadas as cultural heritage of our country, Uruguay asked UNESCO for these products to be the gastronomic heritage of the Río de La Plata. A controversy that remains undefined.
How to make the best homemade dulce de leche
Beyond the controversies about its origin, dulce de leche is traditional in our country and its consumption is typical in any Argentine home. We leave you the recipe so you can make a delicious homemade dulce de leche, without additives or preservatives.
Ingredients: (for about 400g)
- 1L whole milk
- 350g sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Vanilla
Preparation: We begin by heating the milk with the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, so that the sugar dissolves. Add the baking soda and a splash of vanilla essence and stir. We lower the heat to minimum and cook for about two hours, stirring every now and then with a wooden spoon so that it does not stick. In this way, the water contained in the milk will evaporate little by little and the preparation will thicken and take on a characteristic brown color. It is very important not to stop stirring during the last hour, when the candy is thicker, to avoid lumps and globs. Once we achieve the desired consistency, remove it from the heat and continue stirring a little more so that it cools without sticking. We package it in sterilized jars and store it… or try it with some toast, a sponge cake or some cornstarch alfajores… mmmm!