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.
It only grows in areas that flood every year in the Peruvian Amazon. For decades, no one knew how to grow it anywhere else. We tell the story of camu camu.
Camu Camu: The Amazonian Fruit That Took 15 Years to Domesticate Read Post »
Quinoa is, today, the most famous Andean grain in the world. We look at its genetic diversity, a little-known fact about its role in space research, and how Peru became its leading exporter.
Quinoa: Why Peru Leads the World in Exporting a Grain That’s Been Here for Centuries Read Post »
Peru has repeatedly been named the world’s best culinary destination. But that title did not come out of nowhere: it stems from a unique combination of extreme geography, biodiversity and migration history. Here is why.
Why Peru Is a World Culinary Destination: The Answer Lies in Its Geography and History Read Post »
Just over a decade ago, quinoa and maca were virtually unknown outside Peru. We review, with real figures, how these crops went from local products to key players in international trade.
Decades of agronomic research in Peru have documented the genetics and composition of Andean grains. We review, in an accessible way, what the science says and who has carried it out.
Scientific Research on Andean Grains: Genetics, Composition and Agronomic Variability Read Post »
Long before modern ovens, the Incas already mastered sophisticated cooking techniques: cooking underground with hot stones and fermenting traditional beverages. Many of them are still used today.
Pachamanca and Other Cooking Techniques the Incas Perfected Underground Read Post »
Andean superfoods did not become superfoods by chance. Behind their composition lies a concrete botanical explanation: the extreme conditions in which they grow. Here is the science behind this phenomenon.
Why Andean Crops Are So Nutritionally Rich: The Science of Growing in Extreme Conditions Read Post »
Feeding millions of people spread between 4,000 meters of altitude and the coast was one of the great quiet achievements of the Inca Empire. Here is how they did it: their storehouses, their preservation techniques, and the very ingredients we continue to explore today at Colibrí Origins.
How the Incas Fed an Empire Without Knowing Hunger Read Post »
In the Peruvian Andes grows a legume with a little-known secret: before it can be eaten, it must spend days soaking in water. We tell you the story of tarwi, its name, and its role in Andean agriculture.
The Tarwi, Andean Legume You Need to Know How to Tame Before Eating Read Post »
In Peru’s high-Andean lagoons grows an ancestral food that few outside the country recognize: the cushuro. We tell you its origin, its many names, and why its future depends on learning to cultivate it.
The Cushuro, Andean Alga From the High-Andean Lagoons Almost No One Knows Outside Peru Read Post »
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