Argentineans have a fantastic story about the origins of dulce de leche.  They claim that in a war, in their country, in the early nineteenth century, on a winter afternoon, General Lavalle and General Manuel de Rosas came together in order to make a treaty. The General Lavalle arrived very tired at the camp of General Manuel de Rosas. Manuel de Rosas wasn’t in the camp at the moment so General Lavalle entered into his tent and took a nap.

While the General Lavalle was napping a serving woman was preparing “la lechada” for the camp. “La lechada” is prepared by heating sugar and milk. The woman went to speak with the General Manuel de Rosas in his tent, but when she entered she discovered the enemy. She didn’t know about the treaty the two generals were about to make, so she ran to find soldiers.

The General Manuel de Rosas arrived moments before the soldiers, and stopped them from waking the sleeping General Lavalle. In the chaos, the woman forgot about “la lechada.”

When she remembered and checked on “la lechada,” she noticed that it had become a dark brown jelly substance. It is said that a very brave and hungry soldier tried the jelly and then dulce de leche was born. 

It’s a great story, but others claim that it dulce de leche most likely originated with the French “confiture de lait”, a confections very similar to dulce de leche that was created - coincidentally? - in the fourteenth century in a similar military culinary accident.

Who to believe?