Sweetmeats.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 5

Sweetmeats.

In Buenos Ayres it is the custom to serve sweetmeats at every meal— ‘ dulces ’as they are called—preserved fruits of the richest sorts, jellies and confections of every variety and description. Many of these are made bv the nuns in the convents, and are sold to the public either through the confectionery stores or by private application. A South American housewife, instead of ordering jams, preserves, and jellies from her grocer, or putting up a supply in her own kitchen during the fruit season, patronises the nuns, and gets a better article at a lower price. The nuns are very ingenious at this work, and prepare forms of delicacies which 'are unknown to our table. At a dinner-party not long ago dessert was brought in in a novel form. A tray, which appeared to be filled with hard-boiled eggs, was placed before the hostess, who gave each guest a couple, and poured over them some sort of syrup or dressing. In a strange country the tourist is always on the look-out for odd things, but this seemed to cap the climax —hard-boiled eggs at a swell dinnerdessert. But it was soon discovered that the white of this bogus egg was blanc mange, and the yolk waß made of quince jelly, egg shells being used for moulds. This is an idea of the nuns, and one of their ingenious fixings.