Traditional Peruvian Sweets & Wine for Valentines Day

If you’re wondering what Peruvian sweets and liquor might do for a romantic Valentine’s Day, you need only look to at Ica on the desert coast of Peru; it’s the birthplace of pisco brandy & tejas, the most representative sweet from Peru....

If you’re wondering what Peruvian sweets and liquor might do for a romantic Valentine’s Day, you need only look to the town of Ica, located along the desert coast of Peru, near the Nazca Lines. It’s the birthplace of pisco brandy and tejas, artisan candies which are probably the most representative sweet from Peru. It’s also been the country’s wine-making center ever since the Spanish brought the first grapevines after the conquest in the 16th century.

According to local lore, the creator of tejas was a humble woman named Rosalia. Traditionally, a covering similar to white fondant encloses a filling of firm manjar blanco and dried fruits or nuts, especially pecans. (Manjar blanco, or dulce de leche as it’s also known, is a milky caramel made by slow-cooking and continually stirring raw milk and sugar. Wrapped in distinctive fringed paper wrappers, they can be found throughout the country, with the most renowned brands being D’Carmen, Rosalía, Don Juan, and Helena.

Helena was a socialite in Ica, who became the biggest name in tejas after Rosalía and arguably made the sweets well-known outside of Ica when she opened up stores throughout Peru and as far away as Miami. She is often credited to be the creator of the chocolate-covered variation, the chocoteja, as well. Chocotejas made their appearance in the 1950s and are now easier to find outside of the Ica region than the original tejas, which are slightly more involved to make. Fillings have become more diverse throughout the years as well, with innovative variations including alcohol-soaked raisins or figs, candied lime or orange skins, lúcuma.

If you’re traveling through Peru and wondering how to celebrate Valentines Day, a box of tejas and wine from Ica is the ideal choice! If you prefer, you can even make your own, simple version using melted chocolate, dulce de leche (which you can buy or prepare with butter, vanilla, and pecan halves or another filling. Add a nod to tradition by wrapping them in tissue paper, and share them with someone that you love!

Fecha de Publicación: 12/02/2015