Creaciones Dulces

Prepared Foods,  Sept, 2001  by Laura A. Brandt

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Ethnic desserts from flan to rice pudding are creaciones dulces--sweet creations--that satisfy the Latino sweet tooth.

The dessert and bakery aisles in certain areas of the U.S. feature not only bilingual boxes, but imported treats and dessert mixes from many lands. Such has not always been the case.

"When I came here from Mexico 20 years ago, the only [Hispanic] prepared foods in the supermarket were salsas and tortillas," says Maria de Lourdes Sobrino, president and founder of Lulu's Dessert Factory, a Vernon, Calif. manufacturer of ready-to-eat Mexican desserts.

As Hispanic foods become more available, Latinos can enjoy more foods from their native lands, while U.S. consumers continue to explore the ethnic arena. This will likely continue because the Hispanic population (currently some 35 million strong) is growing five times faster than the U.S. population as a whole.

Flavor Evolution (Evolucion del Sabor)

When Americans think of Hispanic desserts, flan probably first comes to mind. However, other popular desserts are based on gelatin, rice, citrus and tropical fruits, eggs, milk and the flavors of caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, anise, coconut and rum. Rompope, similar to eggnog, is another popular flavor.

"Recently, many tropical fruit flavors have emerged from Latin and South America, such as lulo from Columbia," says Lee Kohnstamm, vice-president of International for Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, N.Y. Lulo is an orange-colored fruit that has an apple-like taste. Tropical fruits that have become more popular include acerola berries, guanabana, guava, passion fruit, papaya, and especially mango.

While some companies fear novel flavor creations with an ethnic twist, others relish them. The Dreamery line originally included Hot Chilly Chili, a flavor based on a Mexican theme. "We wanted to create an ice cream that would provide some heat," says Bernard Coll, senior research scientist-R&D, Edy's/Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Oakland, Calif., and co-developer of the Dreamery[TM] line.

The flavor was a blend of vanilla ice cream and a nut blend with spices, combined with a fudge swirl with jalapeno pepper.

"First, you perceived the cold chocolate sensation, then the nuts, after which the heat kicked in," says Coil. Although some customers said this was the best thing ever, and it won an award for innovative new flavor; the product was not a big hit overall and was discontinued.

One successful flavor is dulce de leche. Unfamiliar in this country only a few years ago, it has successfully made the transition from Hispanic to American cuisine.

Tentaciones Dulces (Sweet Temptations)

Flan, rice pudding, and gelatin are popular Hispanic desserts, while dulce de leche is used as an ingredient in many desserts.

Dulce de Leche. A traditional topping with a sweet caramel flavor, it is popular in all Hispanic countries and is used on cakes, cookies, toast, pancakes, crepes, fruits, ice cream and is even eaten straight out of the jar. It is known by other names in various countries. In Mexico, cajeta is made with goat's milk instead of cow's milk.

The flavor combines milk, sugar, vanilla and baking soda in a laborious process requiring long hours of simmering the ingredients together until the mixture reaches a thick, rich consistency and a golden brown color. Starting with sweetened, condensed milk hastens the cooking process.

The sugars caramelize, and the baking soda raises the pH to hasten the Maillard browning reaction which works better at higher pH, according to information from Dairy Management, Inc., Rosemont, Ill. Generally, dulce de leche is made anywhere from pH 5.8 to 6.5, depending on the desired browning. Higher pH also provides some protection for the whey proteins that tend to precipitate below p11 6.2 during the cooking process.

In this country, Dulce de Leche ice cream is a consistent top 10 flavor at Haagen-Dazs, which also makes Dulce de Leche ice cream bars. Since Haagen-Dazs' introduction, many ice cream manufacturers have added the flavor to their lineups, including Dannon's la Creme[TM] yogurt and, most recently, M&M/Mars' M&M[R] Candies.

Edy's introduced Dreamery[TM] Dulce de Leche ice cream this year. Coil and colleagues tried various variegated formulations with varying levels of sweetness, sourness, milky and caramel character--and various textures--before selecting and blending the one with the preferred caramel flavor.

Latino transplants craving homemade taste simmer an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for several hours or hasten the process by using a pressure cooker. In many Latin American countries, dulce de leche is cooked down to a very thick consistency and sold in a shelf-stable bar form, much like a candy bar. In many countries, it is available in ajar.

In the U.S., those craving the real thing can find La Salamandra Dulce de Leche, Argentina's leading brand, in some specialty stores and upscale supermarkets. This whole-milk product from de Medici Imports, Ltd., New York won the NASFT (National Association for the Specialty Food Trade) award last year in the "Outstanding Jam, Preserve, or Spread" category.