King Kong Sweet

King Kong is a Lambayeque confection: sheets of a firm shortbread-like biscuit layered with manjar blanco - milk and sugar cooked down to a thick caramel - and usually also with pineapple jam and sometimes peanut, then cut into blocks and wrapped. The name comes from the film: it appeared in the 1930s, and the story is that people compared the size of the large blocks being sold to the ape in the 1933 picture then showing locally, and the name stuck. It has a denomination of origin, King Kong de Lambayeque, granted in 2017. San Roque is the best-known producer, with a factory in Lambayeque that runs visits showing the layering and cutting, and there are many smaller makers. It is what northerners take as a gift when travelling, and it is sold at every bus terminal and airport in the region.

Highlights

• The layers - biscuit sheets with manjar blanco and pineapple jam between.
• The name - taken from the 1933 film when the sweet first appeared.
• The denomination - protected as King Kong de Lambayeque since 2017.
• The factories - San Roque and others running visits in Lambayeque.

When to go

Year-round. Factory visits during working hours; check ahead. Sold at every terminal and airport in the north.

Things to know

Extremely sweet and very rich - a small piece is enough for most people. Blocks are large and heavy to carry. Quality varies widely between producers; cheap versions are dry. Not suitable for anyone avoiding dairy or gluten.

Nearby

Lambayeque and Chiclayo are the production centres; the Sipán museums are in the same town.