A dark, fragrant Peruvian cane syrup. Chancaca cooks down until glossy and pourable, with warm spice, a citrus lift, and the traditional aroma of fig leaf. Made to stream over picarones and other sweets, it is deeply flavored without becoming heavy.
Break the chancaca into pieces on a cutting board so it dissolves evenly; then place it in the pot with the water, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, and fig leaf. Bring to medium heat and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chancaca is fully dissolved and the liquid is boiling evenly.
Lower to medium-low heat and let it simmer gently, uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes. Stir a couple of times and take it off the heat when it is glossy, coats the back of the spoon in a thin film, and falls in a continuous thread; do not wait for it to become very thick in the pot, because it will gain body as it cools.
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Strain the syrup while still hot through the fine-mesh strainer to remove the spices and aromatics. Transfer it to the bowl and serve it warm; it will gain more body as it cools, but should remain easy to pour and never set like caramel. And that’s it! A good drizzle of this syrup and picarones already taste like a celebration. 😌
