Oh…that late, warm afternoon sun as it sets in the Andean Highlands in Peru…the perfect time to experience a little quinoa harvesting. I must say I’d never seen a quinoa plant, and certainly not the harvesting part of the process…but found the colors to be beautiful and warm just like the countryside and the people.
And then there’s corn…not only do Peruvians love to eat corn…
but they also love to drink their corn…
a fermented beverage called chicha.
Did you know that Peru is known for over 4,000 varieties of potatoes? So one can imagine that the potato harvest is a very big deal here in Peru. It begins with a ceremony to offer thanks to Pachamama or Mother Earth by burning coco leaves and seeds before the harvesting begins…chicha is also served…a little for the potatoes and a little for the workers…all while waiting patiently for the first potatoes that have been dug and placed in an earthen mound and slowly cooked…served with a local cheese making it a perfect combination! Nothing like eating a cooked potato right out of the ground…skin included…with a touch of that black soil to top it off! The BEST.
Blessing Mother Earth…as she feeds the small fire…a ceremony that was touching and one I’ll never forget…
I mean really…how often do we thank our Mother Earth…except perhaps on Earth day…if that?
a little chicha…
and preparations for a tasty potato feast…
And then time to eat and celebrate the harvest!
Some potatoes are freeze-dried by laying them out in the coldest months of the year, covered with frost overnight, and exposed to direct sunlight during the day. It’s amazing to think that freeze-dried potatoes can be stored for 10 to 15 years and even longer.
Oh…did you know there’s even a potato that influences marriage? In some Peruvian communities when a man decides on the woman he wants to marry…his mother presents this type of potato (below) to the future daughter-in-law and she must peel this knobby looking potato without removing more than necessary. If she removes more than necessary…well she doesn’t get to marry her son! That’s why it’s called the “make the daughter-in-law cry” potato.
image courtesy of RPC
The Peruvian women amaze me…keeping up their home…working in the fields…taking care of their husband and children…while looking beautiful in their vibrant colors. So what’s next? Well of course the fashion sense of these amazing women! And…oh… the secret to that beautiful, wrinkle-free skin!
Had no idea there were over 4,000 varieties of potatoes in Peru.. or that there was such a thing as a “make the daughter-in-law cry” potato…how very interesting! I would love to try one of those hot potatoes hot right out of the ground with some of the wonderful cheese melting on top of it….YUM!!! Did you try some of the chicha and if so what did you think? Can’t wait to hear all about the beautiful wrinkle-free skin of the Peruvian women. Thanks so much for sharing and explaining all you learned on this trip. XoXo
Amazing, right? Yes, I did try some of the chicha. We each poured a little over the potatoes during the harvesting ceremony and then we drank a little. It wasn’t that strong…I can’t say that I’m a fan…but it was ok. We would pour/drink and then pass the bottle to the next person. Thanks my dear!
I so enjoy traveling with you to Peru & other countries. Thank you.
Thank you Pat! And I so enjoy that you follow along!!
I love the color of the quinoa, too, and those lime colored orbs floating around … maybe Peruvian fairies? The corn is gorgeous and I would really like to rock one of those hats that the ladies are wearing … I like their style a lot! Looking forward to more, always.
Aren’t those lime colored orbs awesome? Loved them too! I so love their style…and I could so see you wearing several of those hats…all looking so good on you and that long beautiful hair! Thank you so much!
They seem to have a quality in their life that modern urban man may have mislaid, although that might just be me being sentimental. I love the choirs, and the sense of ritual and routine your photographs give me. Looking forward to more of course 🙂
Well call us both sentimental Peter because I totally agree! Thanks so much…always love your visits and comments!
You have seen a side of Peru I never saw while I was there, Robin, and I am thrilled now to see it. Thank you. The people I worked with on the coffe plantation were nomadic and appeared to have no cares in the world…not even planning for the next day. They wore various hues of brown clothes, almost like burlap (though surely not!)…nothing like the wondrous colors seen here. My experience really was different! I had no clue whatsoever about the potatoes, for instance. WOW.
Yes, it seems your experience was totally different…also knowing you were in a totally different area too and also “back in the day…” Seems there are many pockets of culture sprinkled throughout the country. Thank you so much!!
Really? 4000 different types of potatoes? I am flabberghasted and I thought as a German I know a lot when it comes to that very basic ingredient of our not so famous cuisine! What was the altitude where they harvested? I can only imagine how hard it must be to harvest while carrying a child on your back.
Amazing colours and wonderful faces!
I know…when I learned that 15 years ago on my first trip I was flabbergasted too!! Thanks Karen!
I’ll be blessing the earth as we water and weed and await the first crops. To have been there to witness the scene – that one mother with her little one on her back, kneeling at the earth with intention and awareness – I’d never forget that moment either. I am wondering if there are moments here, like that one, that perhaps I am seeing but not seeing?
Good question! One to ponder for sure! Thanks my dear…always love your visits!
Peel potatoes….I will stay unmarried for the rest of my life. I never peel potatoes. The most vitamins are under the skin. (Just kidding) I see they have many different potatoes. (In Dutchland we have around the 180 – 200 different kinds)
(it takes about 5 months to grow, so in 12 months they will have different kinds to cover 12 months)
What on honour to be there and let them have a peek in their lives.
Wonderful story and picture montage.
Love and hugs.
My mom peels potatoes too and I always fuss that she’s taking all the vitamins away! Wow, had no idea that your country had that many varieties either and what a way to take advantage of both seasons! Thanks always Astrid for your visits and comments. xoxo
Absolutely amazing pictures- I love the soft light and the colors. 4,000 varieties of potatoes? I’d love to try each one of them.
Thanks so much Katrin. Isn’t it amazing what various lighting conditions can do to an image?!
That glowing light, fantastic!
When I was a child, on some camp-fire occasions we were baking potatoes in hot ash and though I didn’t like the blackened skin, the insides tasted delicious! 🙂
I’ve never heard of freeze-dried potatoes, I’d expect that the combination of freezing and warming would damage them… Interesting.
Those freeze dried potatoes don’t dry merely from the freezing and thawing. As they start to warm up in the day The campesinos squeeze the moisture out of them by tramping them beneath their feet. And this goes on day after day, not sure just how long. My husband and I were in Chacon, outside of Cuzco, from 1964 to 1966 assisting with agriculture and hand crafts that they sold in the tourist market.