Suspiro de Limena

Origen

The origins of this dessert are in the middle of the nineteenth century in Lima, Peru, however has a clear Islamic influence. The first piece of information we have regarding their development is outlined in the New Dictionary of American Cuisine in the year 1818 under the name Royal Manjar of Peru.

The delicacy or whites (menjar blanc) is a generic that dates back to medieval cultures, this sweet arrived from Spain to Peru. The delicacy believe or not it's the ancestor of another very popular Peruvian dish named AJI DE GALLINA (Peruvian chili hen). History shows that it was presented a cream composed of a thick chicken breast, rice, almonds and sugar; some ingredients of Arab origins and Iberian.

The delicacy described as white, was considered a dish that the kitchen medieval Spanish contributed to Europe. In France was picked up as "Mangia Blanc", in Italy called it "Mangieri Blanc".

In Peru two versions of this "Menjar Blanc" were made: The delicacy of chicken breast, white, sugar and thickened with rice flour and the other version that was made with whites, without the delicacy of chicken breast with only flour and sugar, this is where SUSPIRO A LA LIMENA OR SUSPIRO DE LIMENA was born, thanks to the skillful hands of prodigious talent in the Peruvian Cuisine.

This dessert is consumed mainly in Lima but on a smaller scale in other cities in Peru. In recent years, thanks to the internationalization of Peruvian cooking, consumption of this Peruvian dessert has been spreading to other countries, mainly the border.