Manjar Blanco
Encyclopedia
Manjar blanco (ˈmaŋxar ˈβlaŋko) is a term used to refer to a variety of delicacies in the Spanish
-speaking world. In Spain
the term refers to blancmange
, a Europe
an delicacy found in various parts of the continent as well as the United Kingdom
. In the Americas
(South America
primarily) it refers to a sweet, white spread or pastry filling made with milk
. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with dulce de leche
(ˈdulθe ðe ˈletʃe) or cajeta
(kaˈxeta) in Latin America
but these terms generally refer to delicacies prepared differently from those just described.
and in other parts of Europe
refers to a dessert (blancmange in English), traditionally light brown in color although often colored by added ingredients, made with a mould with a consistency like gelatin
(in fact modern varieties are often made with gelatin). In the Middle Ages
, the dish was prepared with chicken
or fish
, rice
, sugar
, and almond milk
or milk
and other ingredients
(the dish was probably influenced by the Arab cuisine
of Muslim Spain
and Muslim Sicily
). Today the primary ingredients in Spain tend to be milk, almond
s, corn starch or gelatin
, and sugar. The variants in Spain are often somewhat different from those in France
or the United Kingdom
. In Puerto Rico
and Brazil
it is a pure white coconut pudding, called tembleque
in Puerto Rico and manjar branco
in Brazil.
, Colombia
, Ecuador
, (not to be confused with natillas
which is a separate but similar dish), and Chile
. It refers to a set of similar dishes traditionally made by slowly and gently cooking pure (normally non-homogenized
) milk
to thicken and reduce the volume, and gradually adding sugar
. In some regions other ingredients such as vanilla
bean, citrus juices, cinnamon
, and even rice
may also be added. Usually a double boiler
of some sort is employed so as to prevent browning of the mixture (which would give it a different flavor). The result is a white or cream-colored, thick spread with a consistency much like that of a thick cake frosting although the flavor is more like that of sweetened cream
(with accents of whatever additional ingredients may have been added). The cooking process is largely the same as for creating sweetened condensed milk
except that the result is normally thicker.
The simplest way to make manjar blanco is by boiling an intact tin of condensed milk in water for about an hour. On opening the boiled tin, we could see that the condensed milk thickens, darkens and turns into a yellowish light-brown paste that looks like peanut butter (but not as viscous as the latter). Manjar blanco is widely used in Peru as a bread spread and as cake frosting and filling.
Although manjar blanco can be used as spread much like jelly or jam is used in the U.S., it is also commonly used as a filling for pastries
and cookie
s such as alfajor
es and tejas
.
, along with natillas
. It is made out of ingredients like milk, rice, and sugar; which are heated for a long period of time until the right texture is achieved. Manjar blanco is usually eaten with a slice of natillas, buñuelos
, and hojuelas
, creating a very good combination from the salty buñuelos with the two sweet desserts. Manjar blanco can be found in stores during christmas time, but is also found in stores throughout the year.
, and uses coconut milk
instead of milk. It also contains corn kernels, and this variation is known as maja blanca con maiz
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking world. In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
the term refers to blancmange
Blancmange
Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well...
, a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an delicacy found in various parts of the continent as well as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
(South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
primarily) it refers to a sweet, white spread or pastry filling made with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with dulce de leche
Dulce de leche
Dulce de leche is a thick,creamy, caramel-like milk-based sauce or spread.Literally translated, dulce de leche means "sweet from milk". It is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. It is a popular sweet in Latin America, where...
(ˈdulθe ðe ˈletʃe) or cajeta
Cajeta
Cajeta is a Mexican confection of thickened syrup usually made of sweetened caramelised milk.According to chef Rick Bayless, the name for cajeta came from the Spanish phrase al punto de cajeta, which means a liquid thickened to the point at which a spoon drawn through the liquid reveals the bottom...
(kaˈxeta) in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
but these terms generally refer to delicacies prepared differently from those just described.
Spain
Manjar blanco in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and in other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
refers to a dessert (blancmange in English), traditionally light brown in color although often colored by added ingredients, made with a mould with a consistency like gelatin
Gelatin
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
(in fact modern varieties are often made with gelatin). In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the dish was prepared with chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
or fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, and almond milk
Almond milk
Almond milk is a milky drink made from ground almonds. Unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol or lactose. Regular, unsweetened almond milk can be used as a substitute for animal milk in many recipes, and as it does not contain any animal products, is suitable for vegetarians and...
or milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and other ingredients
(the dish was probably influenced by the Arab cuisine
Arab cuisine
Arab cuisine is defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab World, from Morocco and Tunisia to Saudi Arabia, and incorporating Levantine, Egyptian .-History:...
of Muslim Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
and Muslim Sicily
History of Sicily
The history of Sicily has seen Sicily usually controlled by greater powers—Roman, Vandal, Byzantine, Islamic, Norman, Hohenstaufen, Catalan, Spaniard—but also experiencing short periods of independence, as under the Greeks and later as the Emirate then Kingdom of Sicily...
). Today the primary ingredients in Spain tend to be milk, almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
s, corn starch or gelatin
Gelatin
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
, and sugar. The variants in Spain are often somewhat different from those in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
it is a pure white coconut pudding, called tembleque
Tembleque
Tembleque is also a coconut dessert pudding from Puerto Rico.Tembleque is made by cooking coconut milk or coconut cream with milk, salt, cornstarch, and sugar with spices such as cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg...
in Puerto Rico and manjar branco
Manjar branco
Manjar branco is a pure white Brazilian coconut pudding similar to blancmange. It is identical to the Puerto Rican tembleque. In Brazil manjar branco is made in a ring mold and is served with a sauce made of pitted prunes poached in port wine...
in Brazil.
South America
This term is used in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, (not to be confused with natillas
Natillas
Natillas is a term used to refer different delicacies in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, this term refers to a custard dish made with milk and eggs...
which is a separate but similar dish), and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It refers to a set of similar dishes traditionally made by slowly and gently cooking pure (normally non-homogenized
Homogenization (chemistry)
Homogenization or homogenisation is any of several processes used to make a chemical mixture the same throughout.-Definition:Homogenization is intensive blending of mutually related substances or groups of mutually related substances to form a constant of different insoluble phases to obtain a...
) milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
to thicken and reduce the volume, and gradually adding sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. In some regions other ingredients such as vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
bean, citrus juices, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, and even rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
may also be added. Usually a double boiler
Double boiler
A double boiler, also known as a bain Marie, is a stove top apparatus used to cook delicate sauces such as beurre blanc, to melt chocolate without burning or seizing, or cook any other thick liquid or porridge that would normally burn if not stirred constantly. It consists of an upper vessel...
of some sort is employed so as to prevent browning of the mixture (which would give it a different flavor). The result is a white or cream-colored, thick spread with a consistency much like that of a thick cake frosting although the flavor is more like that of sweetened cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
(with accents of whatever additional ingredients may have been added). The cooking process is largely the same as for creating sweetened condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
except that the result is normally thicker.
The simplest way to make manjar blanco is by boiling an intact tin of condensed milk in water for about an hour. On opening the boiled tin, we could see that the condensed milk thickens, darkens and turns into a yellowish light-brown paste that looks like peanut butter (but not as viscous as the latter). Manjar blanco is widely used in Peru as a bread spread and as cake frosting and filling.
Although manjar blanco can be used as spread much like jelly or jam is used in the U.S., it is also commonly used as a filling for pastries
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
and cookie
Cookie
In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing fat, flour, eggs and sugar. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have...
s such as alfajor
Alfajor
An alfajor or alajú is a traditional Arabic confection found in some regions of Spain and then made with variations in countries of Latin America including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Mexico, after being taken there by the colonists. The archetypal alfajor entered Iberia during the period...
es and tejas
Teja (confectionery)
A teja is a popular dumpling-shaped confection from the Ica Region of Peru. It contains manjar blanco filling and either dry fruits or nuts...
.
Colombia
Manjar blanco is a traditional Christmas dish in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, along with natillas
Natillas
Natillas is a term used to refer different delicacies in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, this term refers to a custard dish made with milk and eggs...
. It is made out of ingredients like milk, rice, and sugar; which are heated for a long period of time until the right texture is achieved. Manjar blanco is usually eaten with a slice of natillas, buñuelos
Buñuelos
A Buñuelo alternatively called bimuelo, birmuelo, bermuelo, burmuelo, bonuelo; ) is a fried dough ball. It is a popular snack in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and is a tradition at Christmas, Ramadan and among Sephardic Jews at...
, and hojuelas
Hojuelas
A Hojuela is a traditional Christmas dish in Colombia. It is eaten along with natilla , natillas , and buñuelos; though Hojuelas are usually less popular than Buñuelos...
, creating a very good combination from the salty buñuelos with the two sweet desserts. Manjar blanco can be found in stores during christmas time, but is also found in stores throughout the year.
Philippines
A local adaptation of this dessert is called maja blancaMaja blanca
Maja blanca is a Filipino dessert made primarily from coconut milk. Also known as coconut pudding, it is usually served during fiestas and during the holidays, especially Christmas.-Description:...
, and uses coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
instead of milk. It also contains corn kernels, and this variation is known as maja blanca con maiz