Where does arroz con leche come from?
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Tags: arroz leche, cinnamon stick, rice pudding, arroz leche, arroz lecheArroz con leche ("-rice with milk"-) is a lightly sweetened rice pudding of Spanish origin. It is a dessert made in homes all over Latin America as well. Its ingredients and preparation are simple. Like all home classics, seasonings differ from country to country and even from cook to cook. A basic recipe is included for you to try (and to vary as you please).
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History
While this dish is often known as Spanish rice pudding, oral history suggests that the dish may have been brought to Spain in some form by Moorish travelers. Its origins, just as likely, resemble those of many traditional dishes we take for granted--a creative response to an unexpected surplus or leftovers. In the days before reliable refrigeration, cooks applied considerable ingenuity to preserving these surpluses. Recipes like arroz con leche quickly endeared themselves to cooks whose first impulse was staving off both hunger and waste.
Features
All versions of arroz con leche contain some common ingredients: rice, milk and sugar. Almost always, cinnamon is the predominant seasoning. Rice is cooked in water, then simmered in the sweetened milk and cinnamon until the mixture is creamy and the rice is very soft. The consistency is like a very creamy porridge, and arroz con leche can be served hot or cold.
Geography
Geography is one of the influences on variation. Thus, one Spanish recipe adds up to half a stick of butter to the rice-milk-sugar mixture, while another calls for half a cup of raisins. Spanish versions generally include a little grated lemon peel in the rice cooking water, along with a cinnamon stick. A Chilean version adds two eggs toward the end of cooking- as the hot mixture cooks the eggs, the final product is more like a custard than arroz con leche made with milk alone. Two different Peruvian recipes substitute either evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk for the fresh liquid- the sweetened condensed milk version also adds grated orange peel and a small amount of port wine. A Venezuelan recipe adds both grated orange and grated lime peel, as well as raisins. In Argentina a big piece of lime peel is cooked with the rice, then removed. In Cuba some cooks add extra sugar to the top of the pudding, then broil it, like creme brulee. It is said that Brazilian cooks add coconut milk, although the Brazilian cook observed making the dish during research said that was true only south of her village.
Considerations
Clearly, differing versions of arroz con leche depend on locally available ingredients (currants where raisins cannot be obtained,
the local type of rice, citrus as available). Family considerations also come into play: what is expensive, what is cheap and what everyone likes to eat. What is one of the simplest dishes imaginable can also be one of the most complex, as good cooks take pride in their ingenuity and families maintain personal, local or other traditions.
Types
ARROZ CON LECHE:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup uncooked rice, or 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice
1 1/2 cups water
pinch of salt
4 cups milk (fresh, half-milk/half-cream, undiluted evaporated, or sweetened condensed--omit adding sugar)
1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. grated lemon, lime, orange peel or a mixture
1/2 cup raisins or currants, if you wish
powdered cinnamon to sprinkle on top
sugar to sprinkle on top, if you like things very sweet
METHOD
Cook rice in water with salt until water absorbed. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon stick and citrus peel- simmer approximately 20 minutes until rice is very soft and mixture is creamy. Stir in vanilla and raisins if you like. Remove cinnamon stick, wash and reserve to use again. Pour cooling mixture into serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve hot or chilled. Most frequently, cold arroz con leche is served in a clear glass bowl.
Potential
Even though rice pudding may be new to your family--or disliked in previous versions--arroz con leche can be addictive. Served warm with hot cider on a snowy day, it warms the coldest sledder. It also makes a nice break from other hot breakfast cereals.
Soak raisins or currants in a tablespoon of rum to create a slightly dressier dessert.
Source: www.ehow.com
