A dairy icon of Cajamarca, made to be eaten by the spoonful or spread over bread and rosquitas. Thick, glossy, and deeply milky, it slowly concentrates into a caramel-like sweetness and creamy texture with the traditional fragrance of cinnamon. Few ingredients, a little patience, and a result that tastes unmistakably of Cajamarca.
Reserve a small portion of the fresh milk to dissolve the starch later. Place the rest in a wide pot with the sugar and cinnamon; heat over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and the milk reaches a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and cook for 50 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom well, until it has visibly reduced and developed a golden-cream color with the aroma of caramelized milk.
Mix the potato starch with the reserved milk until completely smooth. Remove the cinnamon, gradually pour in the starch mixture, and cook over low heat for 18 to 22 minutes, now stirring almost continuously. It is ready when the bubbles become slow and heavy, the mixture falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon, and dragging the spatula across the bottom leaves a visible trail for
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Immediately transfer the manjarblanco to a clean glass jar and let it cool for 20 minutes. As the temperature drops, it should become thick, glossy, and easily spreadable, never stiff or dry. Serve it on its own, with bread, or with rosquitas; if you are not eating it soon, refrigerate it once cooled. And that's it—Cajamarca in a spoonful.
