Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened

Fun Facts

1. When it comes to an appreciation of canned dairy, the U.S. is a little behind the times. Latin America has been using it to moisten cakes for decades. In Taiwan (and in Taiwanese-style sweets houses all over) you can find drizzles of sweetened condensed milk over your shaved ice.
2. fresh cream and milk is great and all, but there’s no denying the versatility of sweetened condensed milk,* or the guilty-pleasure-that-I’m-not-actually-guilty-about-at-all, the ecstasy of licking it straight off the spoon. And if you take a look around a grocery store or two, you’ll find no shortage of brands competing for your attention.
3. The total calories, fat calories, sodium levels, and ingredients don’t stray too far from one another. But there are exceptions.
4. Condensed milk obviously won’t taste like fresh, but it should have milky elements to it. There should be some saltiness to balance out the sweet, which should be potent but not cloying.