Written by T Canchola
Is there a comfort taste you hold near and dear to your heart? A special treat that takes you back to childhood? I know that I do! I present the pinnacle of comfort foods for me and my family: arroz con leche. Also known as Mexican rice pudding (at least in the variation that my dad makes), it’s a wonderful mixture of sweet milk, rice, and cinnamon. This recipe goes back to Peruvian roots, and eventually made its way to Spain, where it became an integral part of Hispanic culture later on. Which means it’s part of my culture. My dad tends to make this recipe in the fall and winter, so the warm flavors warm you from the inside out! He learned this recipe from his grandma and brought the recipe with him to America when he immigrated. It’s my favorite (and one of the only) recipes he’s taught me how to make. Now, typically arroz con leche is served cold, but in my family, we serve it hot instead. It’s also not to be confused with horchata, which is simply rice milk and can be found bottled in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores. Arroz con leche is a staple food of my family, and now I’ll show it to you!
The Process:
Step One: Get your ingredients together. Rice, milk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon sticks, water, and ground cinnamon.
Step Two: In a pot on your stove, combine your rice, water, and cinnamon sticks on medium heat, covered. (Say hello to my dad’s hands, he helped me make this.)
Step Three: After it reaches a slight boil and a little foamy on the top, crack open your cans of sweetened condensed milk and pour them in, stirring it gently to distribute the condensed milk.
Step Four: Add milk and let it sit on medium heat for about 20 minutes. After that time, taste it. If you think it needs more cinnamon flavor like I did, just add some ground cinnamon and stir it in. Then let it sit over low heat for another 5-10 minutes.
Step Five: Serve and enjoy! Usually my family serves it straight out of the pot while it’s hot, and topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, but you can eat it other ways. Raisins are commonly used in arroz con leche and served cold, if that floats your boat!
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