THE AGARROBO (CAROB) TREE.

The Algarrobo has been in South America since the Pleiocene Epoch that extends from 5 million to 2.5 million years before present time. It is a very common tree of Northern Peru.
The Peruvian Algarrobo's name is usually translated into English as "Carob." The Algarrobo Tree can harvest timber (heavy and durable) and produces a fruit pod with a "carob taste,"high in natural sugars.
The Peruvian Agarrobo has the form of a big legume tree, like a massive bush bean plant. It bears spines, spies of greenish-yellow flowers, and long pods filled with small brown seeds. From the pods is extracted a syrup that is called "Algarrobina" which has great demand in Peruvian gastronomy.
The Algarrobo trees are long-lived trees, and can live for over a millennium. It grows quickly and have a complex root system that allows them to absorb water at different depths and lateral roots that capture rainfall easily; this is one of the main characteristics that make them capable of surviving in extreme drought conditions. The tree is very efficient at extracting moisture from the soil where it germinates that is able to kill nearby plants by depriving them of water, as well as by shading them out by its wide rounded canopy that makes a good shade.
The Peruvian Algarrobo has a very high standard in nutrients because it grows in drier areas near the Coast. It can be found in areas where other plants do not grow. This is a great food because of its high quantity of vitamins and proteins. It is used to heal anemia and to have beautiful, glowing skin. It is also good for strengthening the lungs and the body stamina.
Algarrobo is an important component of Peruvian gastronomy. Once the Algarrobo fruit are mature the people in the Peruvian North (Piura and Lambayeque)boil the beans making them to concentrate the natural sugars. Then the mass is run through a press. The extract is filtered and is submitted to evaporation to arrive at a point which it resembles a viscous product, named "Algarrobina Syrup." The syrup is used in countless dishes, but most notably in the delicious cocktail called Algarrobina. You can also combine the syrup with different fruit juices in order to fortify them. People also add the syrup to fruit salads as a slight dressing to convert it into a super salad filled with vitamins and minerals.