Leche quemada

[shelora]

Calling all you Mexican food historians out there.

Okay, leche quemada. Its one of the most popular ice cream flavours in Mexico right? Does anyone have any information on how this very unusual flavour sensation came about. Has it existed for a long time or is it a fairly recent thing?

s

Edited July 25, 2005 by shelora (log)

[SuzySushi]

Ah! The wonders of Google!

There's apparently a recipe for Leche Quemada (caramel custard) in a cookbook written by a Franciscan Friar in 1780. I would suspect the flavor derives from Spanish creme caramel.

[shelora]

Thankyou for that but it is not the same thing.

The leche quemada I speak about has the distinct smell of burnt milk. There is just no mistaking it for caramel custard or flan.

[caroline]

Shelora, So far as I know leche quemada is just another name for/minor variation on cajeta/dulce de leche etc. If you google the Mexico Google, right up front pops an article on how it got that particular name in the remote northern center of Linares. Mexico Desconocido (Unknown Mexico) is usually pretty reliable. But not entirely. as SusySushi's search shows.

It is a mystery where dulce de leche in general comes from. Boiled down milk doesn't seem to appear in early Spanish cookbooks--which could mean it didn't exist or could mean it was so common it wasn't worth writing about.

SusySushi, anyone from Hawaii is a friend of mine specially if they stray on to this thread.

Cheers,

Rachel

[esperanza]

The website where Suzy found that recipe is http://www.mexconnect.com/.

Mexico Desconocido is a marvelous website, a caballo of an entirely different color.

[Apicio]

It seems to me that leche quemada is a close literal translation of crême brulée. No?

[Memo]

It seems to me that leche quemada is a close literal translation of crême brulée.  No?

←

No. Leche quemada literally means "burnt milk".

Rome Bakery in Oaxaca produces a great line of ice creams - and leche quemada is one of the flavors they produce.

I've tried it on several occasions - and it really does taste like its name. One of those acquired tastes - also a little comforting. Reminded me of scalding/burnt milk on the bottom of the saucepan, when left unattended.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Memo (log)

[shelora]

Yes indeed. It is definitely a smokey burnt smell and taste. The ice cream is white never a caramelized-colour like cajeta or dulce de leche. There is nothing subtle about it.

[caroline]

Oh dear, then I'm afraid I can`t help. Recipes for leche quemada are always milk boiled down with sugar and a speck of bicarb. Across Latin America it's the same. The icecream just freezes this.

Perhaps yours does not boil it down as much. But if so, where does the flavor come from? Or, and this would be utter heresy, but they couldn't be using flavoring for the ice cream, could they?

Love these puzzles,

Rachel

[Jaymes]

I suspect this 'recipe' goes back into history as far as do milk and fire.

Undoubtedly, somebody left the milk on the fire a tad too long.

One can imagine the thought process: "Whoops! Oh dear, look at that. Hum, I wonder what that tastes like? Hey, not bad."

[AndrewNOLA]

Leche Quemada is my all-time favorite ice cream.

Here's a recipe from a Oaxaca website.

3 pints (1½ litres) milk

16.5 oz. (500 g) sugar

2 sticks cinnamon

Preparation:

Boil 5 cups of the milk in a large pot so it will not boil over.

When it smells burnt, pour into the other cup of milk which is boiling in another pot.

Add sugar and cinnamon and boil for another 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into a hermetically sealed container surrounded by chipped ice and rock salt which keeps the ice from melting.

Churn constantly until the mixture sets.

When half set, beat at high speed with a beater until foamy to avoid it becoming hard and crystalized.

Return to freezer until solid.

I made this, with slight variations and it came out great.

Although I did have to scrub my pot fairly hard afterwards.

[Apicio]

Just to clarify a misconception, salt is added to ice to melt it. Melting point of ice is lower than its solid state. Same reason why we spread salt on our icy roads here in winter.