Quinoa is not just a source of nourishment and income, it is also a key part of Aymara identity. But today, some ancestral knowledge is no longer put into practice in the family and there are no programs that promote topics related to traditional agriculture. The use of manual tools such as the pekaña, the jiwqui, the khona and others, still used in family farming, are being replaced by machines. Amidst globalization, it is necessary to adapt to the use of the internet and other technologies to make visible the Andean knowledge and cultural identity of Aymara men and women who care for Pachamama (Mother Earth) and preserve their ancestral legacy, be it in gastronomy, agriculture, livestock, clothing and native language.
International Day for the Consumption of Quinoa, 2022.
Traditional use of the mortar (pekaña) to dehull the quinoa and make easier to cook.
The duality (chacha-warmi) of family agriculture. Walking toward the fields with manual tools (hoe, spade, etc.) and manure to fertilize the soil.
Using the mortar to dehull the quinoa, which will then be washed to prepare it for cooking.
Harvest of quinoa leaves. In the altiplano, some families use the leaves in stews, omelettes, infusions, purée, etc.
Washing white quinoa to remove the saponins (bitter compounds naturally present in quinoa).
In the past, the saponin released from washing the quinoa served as a detergent.
Traditional artisanal pan used to toast the seeds (red quinoa).
Toasting pan, called jiwqui in Aymara communities, with toasting stick (maymiña), seen here toasting some white quinoa.
Toasting the pasancalla variety of quinoa, which is consumed as a cereal or popped quinoa.
Washing white quinoa to separate the residues (hulls, weeds) from the quinoa seeds.
The wayaka (Andean sack) is used to store quinoa seeds.
