Alfajores
Wednesday, March 27
All Argentinian people we met during or after our trip were particularly proud of two things: the Argentinian national soccer team and "dulce de leche"—arguably the country's most popular product, sweet caramel cream.
"Dulce de leche," as the name suggests, is made from milk and sugar. The mixture is cooked over low heat for a very long time until a thick cream or paste forms. For us, dulce de leche is a creamy spread, but in Argentina, the uses of dulce de leche are endless. Here, it is eaten as a spread, as a side to dessert, as a cake filling, as a chocolate filling, or simply on its own. While many Latin American countries have versions of this type of caramel cream (made from milk and sugar), we found the Argentinian version, the real dulce de leche, to be the most delicious.
Particularly popular in Argentina are "alfajores," two cookies with a thick layer of dulce de leche between them, which can be found in almost every café or packaged in stores. We were already familiar with alfajores from Peru. There, they are two buttery cookies filled with caramel cream and then dusted with powdered sugar. In contrast, the alfajores in Argentina are completely dipped in chocolate. If you love chocolate and caramel, you'll love the Argentinian alfajores!
