27 September, 2021
Cajeta is a dessert very similar to those known in many countries as dulce de leche, manjar, or arequipe. The name varies depending on the country where you enjoy it. It is a typical Latin American sweet, which might change slightly depending on the country or region, but its essence remains the same.
The origin of cajeta is not well known, but what is certain is that it is a dessert from the colonial era, so it is presumed to have come from the Iberian Peninsula. It is said that when the colonists arrived in our American countries, they tried to reproduce their dulce de leche and were met with a big surprise: the cows they brought from Europe did not produce much milk, probably due to the climate change to which they were not adapted.
 
However, when they looked for goats, they found the opposite: these animals did produce milk regardless of the climate and adapted without any problems. Thus, they decided to venture into making cajeta with goat's milk. The result they achieved with goat's milk was very different from what they were used to; its flavor and consistency were not the same, but gradually it became popular in Costa Rica, so much so that it became one of the country's traditional desserts.
 
The name 'cajeta' given in Costa Rica refers to the way the sweet was stored, as it was customary to keep it in wooden boxes, which distinguished it even more from the traditional Spanish dulce.