Wherever you walk to in Arequipa, there is undoubtedly someone selling queso helado on a street corner. Queso helado translates to something along the lines of "cheese ice-cream" or "frozen cheese" which sounds quite odd in itself. But interestingly enough there is actually no cheese in it at all. Recipes vary depending on where you purchase it, but it generally contains fresh milk, unsweetened evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk - along with eggs, coconut, vanilla, sugar and a dusting of cinnamon on top.
My kids and I are quite the fan of this Arequipenan specialty - especially as the weather can quite warm in the middle of the day. You can choose to eat it from the street vendors in a cup complete with the cinnamon dusting, pre-frozen on a stick at Chaqchao Chocolates, in a tub at your local supermarket or order it from any city-wide restaurant with a variety of sides. Some servings have more of an ice-cream consistency while others can be likened to a shaved ice. Either way it is very delicious and extremely refreshing!
Here are just a few variations on our taste testing opportunities...
My kids and I are quite the fan of this Arequipenan specialty - especially as the weather can quite warm in the middle of the day. You can choose to eat it from the street vendors in a cup complete with the cinnamon dusting, pre-frozen on a stick at Chaqchao Chocolates, in a tub at your local supermarket or order it from any city-wide restaurant with a variety of sides. Some servings have more of an ice-cream consistency while others can be likened to a shaved ice. Either way it is very delicious and extremely refreshing!
Here are just a few variations on our taste testing opportunities...
Photo by Jenny Guerrero
Photo by Jenny Guerrero
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