Dulce de Cayote

Dulce de cayote is a traditional sweet of Argentina's northwest, made from the cayote, a type of cactus-fig that grows in the Andean valleys. The fruit is peeled, sliced, and simmered in a heavy sugar syrup until translucent and tender, then served with a slice of fresh cheese, the same cheese-and-sweet pairing as the vigilante of the Pampas but with a distinctly Andean fruit. The cayote's bright green-orange flesh and mild, honey-like sweetness distinguish it from quince or sweet potato pastes. It is a specialty of Tucumán, Salta and Catamarca, sold in markets in glass jars, and traditionally made at home when the fruit ripens in autumn.

Translucent, tender slices of cactus-fig in a thick, sweet, honey-coloured syrup, the fruit mild and floral, served with a slice of fresh cheese whose saltiness balances the sweetness. Eaten with a spoon, the bright colour on the plate.

The technique is a slow sugar-syrup poach. The cayote fruit is peeled (the skin is tough and spiny), sliced into wedges, and simmered in a syrup of sugar, water, a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves for 40 to 50 minutes until the fruit is translucent and tender and the syrup has thickened. The sugar penetrates the fruit, preserving it and intensifying its natural sweetness, while the cinnamon and clove add a warm spice note. The fruit is stored in its syrup, where it keeps for weeks. The cheese pairing is traditional, the mild, salty fresh cheese cutting the intense sweetness.