Quince sweet: an Argentine passion

The quince candy is present at the table of all Argentines. In fact, one of the great controversies, the real crack (if any) is whether the famous “vigilante dessert” (also known as “cheese and dulce”) goes with quince or sweet potato. I say that this is a crack because the discussion of whether pasta frola is made with quince or sweet potato does not allow discussion: it is with quince. And period. But there is much more to say about this delicacy of the gods.

First of all, its antiquity: for the Greeks it was the fruit of love and fruitfulness. So when they planted a quince tree they consecrated it to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. For this reason (and for its exquisite aroma) it was offered at weddings, and the brides ate one before entering the bridal chamber so that “the first kiss was pleasant”. Property pavement.

In the middle ages, despite being humble and easy to grow, was the favorite fruit of monarchs and aristocrats. It was a gastronomic luxury that was served at banquets for demonstrate the opulence of the homeowner.

How do you is the quince candy made?

With the pulp of the fruit, the famous sweet is made, suitable for celiacs, allergic and intolerant to some meals (there are almost no recorded cases of intolerance to quince). The only ingredients necessary for sweet are 1 kg of quince and 1 kg of sugar. They are washed well and put in a pot covered with water. Once it boils, leave on medium heat for 50 minutes until soft. Once cooked, they are crushed, weighed again and added the same amount of sugar as weight, put on low heat and stir so that it does not stick. When you have a semi-solid build, you’re done! All that’s missing is 24 hours of cold and enjoy it.

Hipólito Azema

Hipólito Azema nació en Buenos Aires, en los comienzos de la década del 80. No se sabe desde cuándo, porque esas cosas son difíciles de determinar, le gusta contar historias, pero más le gusta que se las cuenten: quizás por eso transitó los inefables pasillos de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Una vez escuchó que donde existe una necesidad nace un derecho y se lo creyó.