Stories from the Andes and the Amazon
Welcome to the Colibrí Origins blog. Here we share stories about the ingredients, history, and science behind Peru's Andean and Amazonian biodiversity. Thank you for joining us — and if something you read inspires you, share it.
Three quarters of the cocoa beans Peru exports are fine or flavour cocoa. A map of the regions, the awards and the denomination of origin of Peruvian cacao.
Peruvian cacao: from the Amazon to the world’s awards Read Post »
Peru’s coast is a desert, yet its sea is one of the richest in the world. A cold current explains it all, and one small anchoveta moves a global market.
The Humboldt Current: why Peru’s sea is so rich Read Post »
People say Peru is the cradle of the world’s food. We checked the data from the largest study on crop origins to see what is true.
Is Peru the cradle of the world’s food? What the data says Read Post »
Muña is an aromatic shrub of the mint family that grows in the Andes. We look at where it lives, how it is used in Andean kitchens and what studies say.
Muña: the aromatic herb of the Andes that remains little known Read Post »
From a lake at over 4,000 metres, where maca has been grown for thousands of years, to the tropical valleys of Chanchamayo: Junín brings together highlands, rainforest and a lot of history in a single department.
Junín: between the maca plateau and the coffee jungle Read Post »
Before it reaches the plate, Andean food begins as a feat of engineering: the terraces known as andenes. We look at how farming terraces and the site of Moray helped people grow crops in one of the most difficult landscapes on the planet.
In La Molina, Lima, the world’s largest potato germplasm collection is preserved — with a backup copy stored underground in the Arctic. We explain how it works and why it matters for climate change.
The World’s Largest Potato Germplasm Bank Is in Peru Read Post »
In much of the traditional seed systems of the Andes, women take on a key role in selecting and preserving the next planting. We review what agricultural research says about it.
The Informal Guardians of Seeds in Andean Agriculture Read Post »
Long before any modern weather forecast, Andean communities observed a group of stars to decide when to plant potatoes. That practice, remarkably, is still alive today.
The Qullqa: How the Pleiades Determined When to Plant in the Andes Read Post »
In Cusco’s Sacred Valley there is a set of circular terraces that creates up to 15°C of temperature difference between its highest and lowest points. We look at what we know about Moray and what it may have been used for.
Moray: The Circular Agricultural Laboratory the Incas Built Centuries Ago Read Post »
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