Dulce de leche is the most common name for milk caramel in Spanish. Made as both a thick jam and a caramel candy, it is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. Its origin is widely debated, and it remains popular throughout Latin America, including in the Southern Cone, where it is known by this name in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile; in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia (where it is known as Manjar Blanco, although in Colombia it is more commonly known as arequipe); in Mexico (where it is known as Cajeta); and in Brazil (where it is known by its Portuguese name Doce de Leite).
A French version, known as confiture de lait is very similar to the spreadable forms of dulce de leche. A Norwegian version, Hamar pålegg ("Cold cut from Hamar"), better known as HaPå, is a relatively thick and not so sweet variant.