Stop Ignoring This Can
We’re going to talk about condensed milk. This syrupy, intensely sweet substance is sold in every supermarket (the Friesche Vlag cans in the Asian aisle), but is used very little in the Netherlands. In Asia, you’ll come across this milk, from which water has been removed and sugar added, on every street corner.
Iced coffee
In Vietnam, they take their coffee very seriously. Here, espresso is poured over a layer of condensed milk in the glass. Add some ice cubes, stir, and you have the very best iced coffee. It doesn’t matter that the milk doesn’t dissolve completely right away; that way, no sip is ever the same. Incidentally, a spoonful of condensed milk is also a good way to flavor your hot coffee.
Roti canai
Originally from Malaysia, this flatbread has since conquered all of Asia. Paper-thin, elastic dough is fried until crisp in butter on a griddle. Delicious for mopping up your curry sauce, but the sweet version is a favorite at FavorFlav. A little bit of—you guessed it—condensed milk transforms this crispy bread into an astonishing dessert. Banana wouldn’t be out of place either. Unfortunately, Malaysian cuisine isn’t very widespread in the Netherlands, but making it yourself is a challenging weekend project.
Toast with condensed milk
Of all the dishes on this list, this is by far the simplest, but perhaps also the most delicious. A white bread roll, cut in half and lightly spread with salted butter, is then toasted in the oven. When it comes out of the oven, drizzle some condensed milk over it. If you want to be extra decadent, you can also spread some peanut butter or coconut butter on the roll. Are you in Hong Kong? Then definitely try the version at Tsui Wah restaurant.
Mango float
This dessert will win over plenty of hearts. You could compare it to a kind of mango cheesecake tiramisu, but in ice cream form. Mix one can of condensed milk with 250 ml of heavy cream. Cover a baking dish with a layer of graham crackers (you can use digestives if you can’t find these American cookies) and pour a layer of the milk-and-cream mixture over it. Place thin slices of mango on top and repeat two or three times until all your ingredients are used up. You’ll need about two to three mangoes. For the final layer, crumble the cookies over the dish before placing it in the freezer overnight. Leftover mangoes? Make this Thai mango sticky rice.
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