Dulce de Leche: The Caramelised Milk That Defines a Continent

Dulce de leche — milk and sugar cooked slowly for hours until the Maillard reaction transforms the mixture into a thick, caramel-coloured, intensely sweet spread — is Argentina's most beloved food product. It goes on toast, in alfajores (sandwich cookies), in ice cream, in pancakes, in cakes, and eaten straight from the jar with a spoon. Argentina and Uruguay both claim its invention (the disputed origin story involves a maid who accidentally left milk and sugar on the stove for too long while preparing mate for a military general). Similar products exist across Latin America (cajeta in Mexico, manjar blanco in Colombia), but Argentina consumes more dulce de leche per capita than any other country.

• Mexican cajeta (goat's milk version — tangier, more complex), Indian rabri/khoya (reduced milk — same long-cooked milk principle but less sweet), Vietnamese condensed milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá — swee