Chinchero: Birthplace of the Rainbow
All colors are made from certain natural elements, all naturally dyed alpaca fur made into yarn.
Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow.
Chinchero is a small Andean town located high up on the plains of Anta at 12,343 ft elevation (3762 m) about 30km from Cusco. Chinchero is known for its Sunday market and naturally dyed yarns and goods made by family communities in the village.
The courtyard you see pictured here is shared by 15 families and they make and sell everything from sweaters, textiles, Andean Silver jewelry, rugs, and it's home to a few llamas and guinea pigs.
The color purple is made from maíz morado, or purple corn. Since I have been in Peru, I have been enjoying Chicha Morada a sweet Peruvian beverage made from purple corn, cinnamon, clove, lime juice, and fancy versions of this traditional drink add pineapple juice.
Our hostess spoke very good English and had a wicked sense of humor while telling us about the dyeing processes. Some of the colors are fixed by using baby urine.
Below, shades of green are made from Chilq’ua leaves, a weedy bush that grows everywhere in Peru. Used primarily to obtain a light green, it can also be combined with mordant cupric sulfate to create a much darker green.
Cochinilla or Cochineal a parasite that lives on prickly tunas (or cactus) and is used for carmine red dye.
Red, my most favorite color of all, or crimson color, deep red, and orange red, are all made from a parasite that grows on cactus. By adding lime juice the color turns bright orangish red, or by adding alkaline, it turns purplish red.
I find this to be absolutely fascinating.
The parasite called cochinilla or cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a bug parasite of plants belonging to the family Dactylopidae, whose host is the prickly tunas (Opuntia). The bug is also known as cochineal carmine, cochineal, nocheztli, and "Wheel of Death".
The cochineal is an insect that lives on the cactus leaves, it is white in appearence on the cactus. When it is handled or squished into an extract it appears as natural red or crimson. If it is mixed with acid (such as lemon juice) it gives other shades of red, and when combined with alkaline it changes to purple.
The stove where they boil water and create the mixtures for the dyeing process.
Another of our hosts showing us how they make the textiles.
About a thousand different kinds of potatoes, grains, and maize.
Did you know there are over 4000 varieties of potatoes in Peru? They are unique varieties that have been grown in the high Andes for centuries, with some varieties dating back over 8,000 years. They are known for their nutritional value and health benefits and have been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andean region, adapted to it’s diverse altitudes and climates.
Guinea pigs are also considered a delicacy food, specially prepared on Saturdays in Chinchero. However on this day, we were served a brothy whole chicken soup with cassava root also known as tapioca, and chuño, a freeze-dried potato product traditionally made by Quechua communities of Peru.
