This is the Argentine sweet by excellence. Countless desserts, afternoon teas, and quick breakfasts have been supported by this confection which is as symbolic of the country as the flag itself.

Two soft cookies sandwiching a generous dollop of dulce de leche, covered in chocolate, that is the quintessential presentation of the world-famous alfajor. But, it didn’t always have that characteristic shape.

Welcome to Further Records, I’m your host, Forest. Grab a sweet treat and check out our extra material on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

It all started over 1000 years ago. Around the year 700, Arabic conquerors reached the coast of Spain, and of course they took their delicious recipes. One of these dishes was called al-hasú. It was a paste made of almond, honey, and other nuts, in the shape of a tube, similar to a toffee (if you know Mantecol, it looks like that!).

“But wait,” you may be saying, “there’s no cookies or dulce de leche in that recipe!”. You would be correct! Over the course of many many years, the al-hasú evolved. The paste was placed between two wafers so that it could be easily transported on Spanish ships. Those sweet sandwiches reached the shores of America during the Spanish colonisation.

Thanks to this, the al-hasú reached Argentina. If you remember our previous episodes, you’ll know that during colonial times, our famous dulce de leche was invented. If you know a little about Argentine history, you’ll know that it happened very shortly after the wars of independence. After decades of battles, tragedy, and hardship, the government of the newly created Argentine Republic was ready to create the first Constitution in 1853.

Why is this important? Isn’t this an alfajor episode? Well, you see, the creation of the Constitution was happening in the province of Santa Fe. Not all of the representatives were from that province, and some of them had to rent rooms to sleep in. Some of the rooms were on top floors, located above the now legendary Merengo sweets shop.

It’s unclear exactly how it happened, but in this shop worked the Piedrabuena sisters, creating all kinds of sweets and pastries. That was the birthplace of the alfajor we know and love today. The traditional Santafesine alfajor was created with dulce de leche between two flakey cookies, covered in meringue.

The Argentine politicians were delighted with this new treat, and many of them took several boxes back home. The rest is history. Immediately, the alfajor became immensely popular and began to be produced in cities all across the country!

At this point, the story becomes somewhat unclear. However, we know that the company Havanna was created in the 1940’s, and Balcarce was founded in the 1950’s. The two most important factories in Mar del Plata were the ones who popularised the modern alfajor: Soft cookies, a layer of dulce de leche, and chocolate covering.

Since then, the basic alfajor hasn’t changed much. Traditional flavours include dulce de leche, fruit jams, and mousse. Alfajores may be covered in white or dark chocolate, or meringue, or sometimes not at all! Maicena alfajores famously include cookies made from corn starch, no coating, and coconut shavings on the edges.

Alfajores come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, coatings and fillings! In recent years, the cultural significance of Mar del Plata, a beach city, has been celebrated with new “sea salt alfajores”. Other new flavours include spicy alfajores, and the luxurious Dubai flavor, which includes a modern pistachio filling.

Still, these sweet treats need no innovation. After all, 6 million of them are sold every day! They’re a wonderful companion for any time of the day, and truly, how can it not be? The rich cultural importance only makes it more delicious. Have you tried alfajores? Which flavour is your favourite?

Thank you for listening to Further Records. Remember our other resources! We have tips on YouTube, funny videos on TikTok, and extra learning material on Instagram! In this podcast, we used the following phrases:

• Confection: This is a more formal word for a sweet food or candy.
• Quintessential: This adjective means "the most typical or classic example of something." For example, "A black leather jacket is the quintessential rockstar look."
• Toffee: A hard, chewy candy made from sugar or molasses and butter.
• Wafer: A thin, light, crisp cookie.
• Shores: This is a more poetic or formal word for the land along the edge of a sea, the coast!
• Hardship: This noun refers to severe suffering or difficulty.
• Now legendary: The use of "now" here shows that the place became famous over time. It's a way to add extra detail to the description.

Keep boosting your English journey with us! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Comments? Questions? Concerns? Send us an email! We’d love to hear from you. See you next time!

Music & SFX:

"Cumbia No Frills" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Desert City" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Bossa Bossa" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Funky Boxstep" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Piano Romantisme" by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com

"Savour the Moment" by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com