During the early days of the colonization period, in Mesoamerican countries, ingredients like wheat were not used for products consumed by Europeans.
Some History
As years went by, the Spanish adapted to eating native foods and incorporated many of them into their cherished dishes; an example of this was the use of corn as a substitute for wheat flour in bread-making.
Therefore, throughout the Mesoamerican region, traditional dishes based on corn were baked, intended to evoke European dishes.
In Nicaragua, these are called "oven cakes," referring to corn products baked like bread.
Once wheat flour began to be used in the New World, bread consumption became widespread, but "oven cakes" continued to be made, sometimes as a substitute for bread or as a delicious dessert.
The Oven Cake
The "oven cake" is a delicious Nicaraguan dessert made from corn, from which various recipes are derived, including the Nicaraguan Perrereque, a sweet cake rich in traditional flavor.
The traditional Perrereque is made with ground tender corn, butter, milk, cream, sugar or panela sweetener, curd, cheese, cinnamon, and baking soda; resulting in a liquid mixture that is baked into a moist, delicious cake.
Some regions add a topping of grated cheese mixed with sugar and cinnamon before baking. Today, cornmeal is used in the recipe to make preparation easier.
Perrereque
El perrereque nicaragüense es un postre tradicional que combina maíz y leche para crear una textura suave y un sabor dulce y reconfortante. Una delicia que resalta la riqueza de la gastronomía de Nicaragua.
Either way, enjoy this exquisite corn cake full of genuine flavors from pre-Columbian cultures.
