Dulce Gatas or Dulce de Gatas. This is known as Dulce de Leche among Latin American countries like Argentina and also as Caramel spread or Milk Jam in Europe. Dulce Gatas is a delectable dessert in Negros made famous by the artisanal kitchens of Silay City with El Ideal Bakery coming to the fore.
To produce dulce gatas, fresh carabao's milk and muscovado sugar are cooked together in a copper pot which is then reduced to a caramel consistency. It is then poured into Tupperware-like pots or plastic canisters and is immediately cooled at room temperature. It's eaten by spooning the sticky mess and licking it like crazy. If stored inside a fridge, dulce gatas stays for about two weeks but due to the insistent urge to dig in, it doesn't stay for more than a week.
The taste of which is caramelly sweet and decadent. As for the texture is soft, somewhat grainy from all the small curdled milk inside and it is slightly oily. It literally sticks on the tongue. It's like that taste of burnt sugar or perhaps caramel but with a more "going-down-&-going-up" flavor.
Usually, the best way to eat this heavenly dessert is to take a tablespoonful or two right after dinner. This will take the "umay" of the meal away, thus, leaving you somewhat in a sugar high. To eat it in one sitting is a recipe for sudden death, so it is best to take it moderately.
You can find this in select restaurants like Pendy's and El Ideal, and pasalubong centers like Bong-bong's and ANP Showroom. So far the best brand I've tried is not Kat-kat's but El Ideal's.
Price range: P120-240 ($2.60-5.20)
na-mi gid!
ReplyDelete@kahel: i agree completely!
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