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Dulces, Mermeladas y Jaleas

Posted on March 9, 2007
Filed Under Food and Drink, Vocabulary | 10 Comments

To say I have a sweet tooth would be the understatement of the year. I get a lot of pleasure from loading a crusty-bread with honey, fig or strawberry jam. So I was on cloud nine when I discovered artesanal jams and sweets are sold everywhere in Uruguay at incredibly affordable prices.

In case you wish to dive into this aspect of Uruguayan-ness, here are a few pointers. Jams or preserves are called mermeladas, but keep in mind that it is not an exact translation. The term in Uruguayan Spanish is more encompassing than the English one. Therefore, all jams are mermeladas, but not all mermeladas are jams. When a mermelada is cooked further and becomes a soft solid, it is called a dulce, e.g. mermelada de higo is spreadable, dulce de higo is not. Jalea is the term used to indicate jelly.

When in Uruguay, I think you will be much happier if you accept early on that you will need to make adjustments to your diet. For example, in the US I normally eat cherry and raspberry jams, even though I prefer fig jam. However, in North America fig jam is a specialty item and is priced accordingly. When I got to Uruguay, I noticed that the situation is reversed. Cherry jam costs almost three times as much as the fig jam. So I think it is wise to research what’s produced locally and to discover enjoyment among those products.

Among the local Uruguayan products there are a few worth calling attention to, either because they have no equivalent or because they are so incredibly cheaper.

First on the list is the mermelada de zapallo or “pumpkin jam”. Wait, don’t flee in horror. It turned out to be one of the best discoveries of our trip. We had to resort to hiding it, to prevent us from finishing the whole container. The word mermelada does not do justice when applied to zapallo, since it is really more of a sweet than anything else. It has sort of a baby food consistency. And when you buy it, I suggest you serve it inside a small terrine or ramekin and eat it with a spoon, like dessert. Of the brands we tried, all were good, but one was heavenly. Unfortunately I cannot be sure because I cannot find the name in my notes, but I think it is Cerros del Este. So if you like mermelada de zapallo, you may want to conduct a taste test to find the best brand. Don’t worry; it is incredibly cheap, about one dollar per pound.

Second on the list is the mermelada de higo (fig jam). It goes well with a slice of crispy baguette or on top of a galleta. And it is also very inexpensive.

Other mermeladas of local fruits are the membrillo (quince), frutilla (strawberry), durazno (peach), naranja (orange), ciruela (plum), manzana (apple), butia (a local fruit). These are all very affordable, between one and two American dollars per pound.

The jaleas of local products are few. The most commonly available are: manzana (apple), membrillo (quince). Surprisingly, grape jelly is rare.

The dulces have no equivalent commonly available in North America. They are a soft solid that can be cut with a knife and is normally eaten on top of bread, crackers or with a slice of cheese. This combination is a common poor man’s dessert: a slice of Colonia cheese with a slice of dulce de membrillo on top. In Uruguay, it is called Martín Fierro. Very tasty.

The most common dulces are of: membrillo (quince), zapallo (pumpkin), batata (sweet potato), higo (fig), durazno (peach), manzana( apple). Dulces are slightly cheaper than jams of the same “fruit”. The dulce de zapallo is also made in the form of glazed cubes and is delicious. These dulces are sold prepackaged at the supermarkets but are also sold by weight at many grocery stores with a deli section. For example, La Colonial, the deli/grocery store chain sells cheese and a variety of dulces by weight. But you need a decent amount of Spanish to be able to carry out the transaction.

I recommend you try the dulces de membrillo, higo, zapallo and batata. None of them is going to make you reach Nirvana, but you will discover interesting new tastes. I found all of them went well with a slice of cheese (subject of future post). Dulce de leche is too vast of a subject to be covered here and will need its own post.

Sadly, only somewhat late in the game I discovered that our local frutería sold unprocessed honey from small-scale producers. It was excellent stuff, but, by then, it was competing with so many other treats that it did not get the star treatment at our table it should have.

Other posts in Food and Drink

• Tipping Custom in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Mate Custom
• Types of Cheeses Made in Uruguay
• Overview of Uruguayan Dulce de Leche
• An Overview of the Uruguayan Beer Market
• Review of Milk Types Available in Uruguay
• Comparison Between Regular Coffee and Café Glaseado
• An Overview of Inexpensive Table Wines of Uruguay
• Where to Buy the Best Uruguayan Empanadas
• Fresh Fruits Available in Uruguay

Other posts in Vocabulary

• Car and Driving Spanish-English Glossary
• Uruguayan Spanish Conjugation
• Uruguayan Spanish Real Estate Terminology
• Uruguayan Mate Custom
• Marijuana Legal Status in Uruguay
• Types of Cheeses Made in Uruguay
• Things to Consider Before Hiring Household Help
• Uruguayan Knife Sharpener
• Observations on Pricing in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Banking Vocabulary

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