Our 10 favourite desserts and sweet treats, from our trip through South America. Some are traditional sweet treats, from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina or Chile and some can be found throughout the continent with their own special touch in each country. If you've got a sweet tooth, this blog
is for you.
1. Inca Trail Cake and Pancakes - Peru
You're probably thinking what's so special about a cake and pancakes. Well, the first morning we woke up on the Inca trail and were each given a fresh pancake each with a Nazca lines shape made form dulce de leche, as if this wasn't impressive enough, the second evening, the chef walks in with a freshly baked cake! We are still questioning, how they managed to bake a cake on a temporary camp, and how did any of the eggs not break?
2. Queso Helado - Peru
Despite the name, it does not include any cheese. Instead it is a combination of freshly boiled milk, chuno powder, and a variety of flavours that can be interchanged including vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut. First created in Arequipa, when milk was in plentiful as a result of the Spanish introducing cattle into the Andres region. Try it from a local street vendor or pop into ice cream parlour Capriccio. (There are a number of Capriccio's in the city some are cafes, some are ice cream parlours.)
3. Alfajores - Everywhere
Alfajores, the South America version of a cookie but stuffed (often with dulce de leche), are done differently across the continent, and one of most popular desserts.
They even vary across Peru try Peruvian Alfajores in Arequipa 'Alfajores Arequipenos' (try them from the shop in the corner of Plaza de Armas) or Lima Alfajor de Sayán.
High up in one of the alleys of Valparaiso, you'll find Chile's best alfajores, take a tips4tours tour and you'll find out exactly where it is, then you'll be asked to yell, the owner will come out and offer you one for FREE, if you want more you'll have to pay. In Chile and Argentina they are completely coated in chocolate, try San Telmo Market in Buenos Aires to buy them here.
4. Chocotorte - Argentina
If you're travelling through South America and you haven't had enough of dulce de leche yet then try Chocotorte a delicious classic Argentinian desert or alternatively try Marroc cake, our favourite.
5. Picarones - Peru
Picarones are basically donuts, try them from a street vendor in Arequipa. Made from sweet potato, squash, flour, sugar, yeast and anise deep fried and soaked in chancaca a syrup like sauce, often then flavoured with orange or cinnamon, you choose, best served hot.
6. Tres Leches Cake - Everywhere
The 3 milks cake makes yet another dessert based on milk. Made from evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream, layered with or poured on sponge. Not one for the lactose intolerant of you out there. The best ones we found were in Mancora, Trijilio and Arequipa.
7. Freshly Made Chocolate - Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador
Find out more about our experience making chocolate in the Amazon Rainforest by clicking here.
8. Empanadas de Manzana - Chile
Empanadas made it onto our dishes you should try in South America. They are usually associated with savoury fillings but in Chile you can find both sweet and savoury ones. Usually filled with a fruit typically apple and spices, its like a warm apple pie like dessert.
9. The ice cream parlours of South America
All the city's we visited in South America had an array of great ice cream parlours, our favourites happened to be in Chile and even made it into our top 10 ice creams from around the world.
10. Dulce de leche itself deserves its own special mention
Every country we travelled through seemed to be obsessed with the stuff. It has a similar taste to caramel but is usually made with condensed milk, simmered for hours, then adding sugar and sometimes cinnamon, you'll find many desserts using it as an ingredient or just simply buy a pot of the stuff. You'll either get obsessed or become sick of it.
For the best variation, different treats or just a tub of dulce de leche to take home visit 'Dulce de Leche and Co' or 'La Casa de leche' in Buenos Aires.
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