Arroz Doce

The story

Arroz doce, creamy rice cooked in milk with lemon peel and cinnamon, is one of the oldest and most widespread dessert recipes in Portuguese cooking, and its special holiday touch is the decorative pattern of cinnamon sprinkled over the top. Many families use a stick or a stencil to draw lines, spirals, or even initials and the year directly in powdered cinnamon on the smooth surface of the cooled rice, so that the dessert becomes a part of the festive table for the eye as well as the palate. The rice is cooked slowly, with constant stirring, until the grains have taken up the milk and reached a creamy, almost pudding-like texture, while the lemon peel adds a freshness that cuts through the richness of the milk base. Similar rice desserts exist all over Europe, but the Portuguese version is especially insistent on that final decorative detail of cinnamon as its signature. For Portuguese families in the diaspora, decorating arroz doce with cinnamon together with the children is one of the easiest and most creative holiday rituals for passing the tradition on.