Living in Argentina during high school, I ate dulce de membrillo many times before I had a clue what the sugary, dark orange paste was. I later learned that membrillo is Spanish for 'quince,' and dulce de membrillo (literally, 'quince sweet') is simply a dense quince jelly.
The quince, which resembles an overgrown chartreuse pear, is a fruit native to Asia, now grown all over the world. Unlike pears, however, quince are not eaten raw (I've tried - they're sour and astringent and hard as rocks).
In Spain and Argentina, dulce de membrillo is sold by the slice from massive bricks and generally served with nutty, salty Manchego cheese or on buttered toast. I've also run across it in Israel, served for breakfast with thick, sour yogurt. Here in the US, you can find it at Spanish specialty stores, and some Hispanic markets and regular gourmet shops. It's got an interesting grainy texture and a somewhat floral, apple-like flavor. It's quite sweet - sweeter than most jams and jellies - which is why it's so good paired with cheese or plain yogurt. Try it with slices of Manchego on crackers, or slip some inside a wheel of brie and bake until gooey.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-02-2008 @ 4:29PM
Julie said...
It is also extremely delicious with an extra sharp aged provolone or Grana Padano, the extra sharp and sweet contrast are so addictive.The Italians also do the grana Padano cheese on slices of fig cake with just a drop or two of aged balsamic vinegar.
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6-03-2008 @ 5:40AM
Bryan Eisenberg said...
My dad used to bring it back from Argentina before they had it available in the states and we used to sit and enjoy it slowly (not)! In New York it is really easy to find, but for some of my family that is out of state I recommended finding it online at stores like this one http://www.tienda.com/food/products/dt-08.html you can also find the Manchego cheese there too.
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6-09-2008 @ 10:43AM
patricia said...
I love the dulce de membrillo that my mother makes...
I love to eat it as a dessert with slices of fresh cheese (I think that this is the correct translation)
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