The Omela label is a familiar sight on supermarket shelves in Malaysia and Vietnam. It is an indispensable part of teh si, a Malaysian tea latte, and ais kacang, or shaved ice with red beans and creamed corn. You won't find this brand in many U.S. supermarkets, but you may have the ingredient in your pantry. In English-speaking countries, it is commonly known as sweetened condensed milk.
What Is Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Sweetened condensed milk is a mixture of 60 percent whole milk and 40 percent sugar. This mixture is heated until approximately 60 percent of the water has evaporated, resulting in a thick, sticky substance that is creamy in color and consistency. It is a sweetened version of evaporated milk that is commonly used in desserts such as cookies, fudge, pudding, cheesecake, flan and key lime pie.
History of Sweetened Condensed Milk
Despite its high sugar content, sweetened condensed milk has its roots in the health food industry. In the early 1800s, food poisoning from milk was widespread due to lack of pasteurization, sterile processing equipment and refrigeration. Gail Borden, in an attempt to develop a safe alternative for infants, developed condensed milk in 1856 and opened the the New York Condensed Milk Co. in 1857. This product not only achieved Borden's goal of reducing infant mortality, but also became an important part of soldiers' diets during the Civil War. Later, sugar was added to create sweetened condensed milk, which is still marketed by Borden's company under the name Eagle Brand.
History of the Omela Brand
Omela is a brand of the Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad, a subsidiary of Royal FrieslandCampina, a Dutch-based international dairy company. Dutch Lady was incorporated in 1963 in Malaysia and has spread into Vietnam. In these countries, Omela sweetened condensed milk is called sweetened creamer and is often used as a tea and coffee creamer in addition to its use in desserts.
Substitutes
If your recipe calls for one can of Omela milk, you can substitute 17 oz. of sweetened condensed milk. This is a little more than one can of a U.S. brand, which is usually 14 fluid ounces. You can also combine 1/3 cup evaporated milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter or 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dry milk powder, 1/2 cup warm water and 3/4 cup sugar as a replacement for one cup of Omela milk.
References
- Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad: Dutch Lady Creamers
- Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad: Company Profile
- A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English; Teh-C; Jack Tsen-Ta Lee
- Malaysia Traditional Recipes Mom: Ais Kacang or Ice Kacang
- Food.com: Kitchen Dictionary: Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Eagle Brand: Recipes
- BrandNameCooking.com: Home Cooking With Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Eagle Brand: Our History
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