Algarrobina
December 26, 2007
Algarrobo is the Spanish name for the Carob tree, a tree of Mediterranean origin that produces, in Spanish, the Algarroba fruit from which algarrobina can be produced. This tree grows up to 10 meters tall and can eventually grow huge branches. It survives well in dry climates allowing it to do well on the Peruvian coast.
Algarrobina is enjoyed across all of Latin America. It is produced by boiling the carob fruit to extract a liquid high in natural sugars. This is then dried out until you get a thick liquid.
In Peru, you’ll most likely find algarrobina used in a Pisco cocktail, along with other ingredients such as milk, egg yolk, sugar and cinnamon. The result is a slightly thick liquor enjoyed by many.
ALGARROBINA COCKTAIL
Ingredients:
First we need to decide what is a “cup” of something – a measurement used a lot in Peruvian cocktail making. Below I am assuming a mug or class that is tea-cup sized in what it holds.
1 3/4 cups Pisco
1 1/2 cups port wine
1 cup algarrobina syrup
1 cup condensed milk
2 egg yolks
6 crushed ice cubes
Ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients, leaving aside the ground cinnamon for now.
Add ice cubes and continue blending until all is mixed and ice is crushed.
Pour this into small glasses and sprinkle with cinnamon.
You’ll get enough for 8 small liquor glasses.
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This is one of my favorite Peruvian drinks.
Somehow I managed to get an algarrobina bottle here in Japan, which I use to prepare the cocktail from time to time (and only for special ocasions)
Yummi!
Somehow?
From what I understand Japan is the primary export destination for pretty much everything Peru produces! 
Primary export destination for everything except Laura Bozzo, which I´m happy about… Wink
Actually, the US is the primary export destination. But yes, the Peruvian community in Japan buys hundreds of items that you couldn´t get even at Wong…
Anyhow, a bottle of algarrobina costs about US$20, and a bottle of Pisco Biondi some US$50. If you add to that the price of the lime (a Peruvian-like lemon), US$1.50 each, you can imagine that preparing a Pisco Sour or an Algarrobina cocktail are really, really expensive endeavours…
Keep enjoying the cheap Lima, Stuart!
[...] river that floods the area in the rainy season and dotted with ancient pyramids, this dry forest of algarrobo trees on the old grounds of the Batán Grande suger-cane hacienda was the highlight of my time in [...]
[...] mangos and maracuya, which is the fruit from the maracuya tree and is used to make juice and jelly. Algarrobina is a syrup made from the fruit of the algarrobo tree. The syrup is very thick and dark brown in [...]
[...] to mark the boundary between Piura and Tumbes, is over very smooth ground and you’ll only see algarrobo trees. As you advance though, you could see herons, some robins and many more of the other 20 species of [...]