Dulce de Leche is at the heart of most Argentine deserts. There are many stories about the origin of this milk-based creamy syrup (inadequately translated as “milk jam”). One story involves the 19th century Argentine caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas. The story goes that one winter afternoon at the Rosas house, the maid was making some lechada—a drink made with milk and sugar boiled until it starts to caramelize—and she heard someone knocking at the door. She left the lechada on the stove and went to answer the door; and when she came back, the lechada was burnt and had turned into a brown jam: dulce de leche.