AJÍ YUQUITANIA
FROM THE IMMENSITY OF THE JUNGLE
THE YUQUITANIA
Yuquitania is an ancestral preparation made with Amazonian chili, one of the power plants of the jungle. It is a traditional preparation of different varieties of chili peppers, smoked or dried in the sun and mixed with salt.
It is the traditional spice of the indigenous peoples of the Colombian Amazon.
ANCESTRAL PREPARATIONS: AJI YUQUITANIA
The Mejía family from the community of San Francisco shares with us their wisdom and ancestral knowledge of the preparation of the Yuquitania and the importance of the chili pepper in their culture and daily life.
THE AMAZON TERRITORY AND THE ORIGINS
The chili pepper is an ancestral plant that has been used by indigenous cultures since millennial times and it is part of the cultural heritage of the Amazon region.
In this territory there are more than 32 native varieties of chili and it is one of the most important crops for the communities due to its medicinal uses, its symbolism and the rituals it fosters.
Currently the project works with indigenous and farming families that produce Ají Yuquitania in two territories of the Colombian Amazon: Vaupés and Guaviare. Each of these origins tells stories of the jungle and its people.
ORIGIN VAUPÉS
Cultivated and produced by indigenous Tucano, Siriano and Cubeo familes that inhabit the vicinity of the Vaupés River.
In the Barasana language, salt is "moa" and it means movement, activation and work; and the chili for its part is "biä" and means renewal. The relationship with the plant goes beyond being just a food, for them, this is a sacred plant.
Tone: Dark red.
Flavor: Smoked.
Spiciness level: Medium-high.
Spirit animal: Jaguar.
ORIGIN GUAVIARE
Cultivated and produced by farming families of Guaviare that are part of ASOPROAJI, a social project to overcome the armed conflict.
Currently, the chili pepper has become a crop that has replaced illicit crops in the region, becoming a productive alternative that brings peace and stability to the territories.
Tone: Red.
Flavor: Chili pepper dry in the sun with fruity tones.
Spiciness level: Medium.
Spirit animal: Danta.
By purchasing Ají Yuquitania, you are contributing to the conservation of ancestral practices and traditional techniques of indigenous communities in the Amazon region.
