Dulce de leche is one of those culinary gems—if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon it early in life, your subsequent days on earth will be that much sweeter for it. I meet many people who have heard of it, but don’t really know what it’s all about, so I’ve decided to make it my mission to spread the dulce de leche gospel.

As legend would have it, dulce de leche, or “sweet milk,” can trace its roots back to a happy culinary accident. From 14th Century French soldiers to a 19th Century Argentine woman, it’s clear that this accident had staying power. Popular all over Latin America, dulce de leche is a milk-based syrup that is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk until it thickens and caramelizes. Dulce de leche is one of our favorite flavors—real beauty is found in the simplicity of the delicious, sweet sauce that can be used in many applications and adds an international twist to standard recipes.

We like to add a little bit of Latin flair to our One World Weddings, and serving dulce de leche in various forms is a great way to do that. We like to infuse cheesecakes, martinis, ice cream and crème brulée with this caramel goodness. Sometimes we even add sea salt for a “salted dulce de leche,” creating that irresistible sweet and salty flavor profile. To take a traditional white wedding cake to the next level, we like to infuse it with dulce de leche and top it with a white chocolate-dulche de leche buttercream frosting. Other ideas include dulce de Leche crepes, hot chocolate and lattes for a morning-after brunch. It can also be served with fresh fruit. Dulce de leche makes a great party favor too—and it’s something you can make with friends and family. Simply make large batches of the caramel, pour it into beautiful jars, embellish with a ribbon and a personalized label and give it to guests as they depart with a basket of fresh fruit and butter cookies for dipping! Milk…it does do a body good.

Photo credits in the order of appearance: Barbara Sales, Thomas Perkins, Aleksei Potov

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