Lead your Superlife: Healthy, Happy, Confident
Our CEO’s Trip to PERU… The Motherland of Quinoa!
This is our CEO, Valerie.
Recently, she visited Peru on holiday.
Peru is mostly known to be the land of Machu Picchu and the Incan civilisation.
However, what many don’t know is that the Andes of Peru is the originating land of Quinoa. This native crop has been a food staple in their society for over 6,000 years. Incan warriors used to eat Quinoa to give them energy for long journeys, as Quinoa’s high nutritional value is the perfect nourishment for their bodies at battle.
In this mini photo documentary, Valerie will be taking you along her Peruvian adventure!
Machu Picchu
The magical, majestic, marvellous Machu Picchu. A place with over 150 buildings believed to have housed Inca Emperors and nobles at the height of the Incan Empire in the 15th century. Fun Fact: Did you know that Machu Picchu means “Old Peak” in the local Quecha language?
The Ancient Ruins
Valerie was absolutely blown away by the architecture of the ancient ruins. It spreads over a 5 mile distance (8km) and has more than 3,000 steps to connect the different levels. Look at how luxuriously green and well kept the environment is!
Clean water = Premium Quinoa Quality
Even the creeks and rivers flowing through the mountains are beautiful and unbelievably clean. It is undeniable that natural resources in the Andes mountains are rich, and this is what makes the quality of Peruvian Quinoa the best in the world! Incomparable to Quinoa from any other country.
Genius Ancient Incan Agricultural System:
One of the most fascinating and underrated things about Machu Picchu and the Incan civilisation is how genius their agricultural system is. They have somehow figured out a system that allows them to grow different types of produce on different levels, and these different levels actually allow the produce to thrive best in the specific air quality and environment. It’s ridiculous and unbelievable because the height difference between the steps do not seem drastic enough for there to be a difference in air quality, but apparently it does and farming using such a system has worked perfectly well for the natives for thousands of years.
Quinoa healing the malnourished:
This is what a Quinoa plant looks like before its seeds are harvested for consumption. It is a beautiful and delicate-looking flowering plant in the same family as Amaranth. Since it is not a grass plant, it is hence not a grain/cereal, but a PSEUDO grain/cereal. You can find them growing in high altitudes in Peru!
Quinoa is known to have more nutrients than any other grains/cereals, so much so that even the local government is promoting its consumption to decrease malnutrition in the region. In western culture, people eat Quinoa in salads, but how do the Peruvians eat Quinoa?
Peruvian Quinoa Soup
Peruvians love to put Quinoa in soup! It is so yummy and hearty. The perfect healthy, comfort food. The best part about Quinoa soup is that it is super simple to make and uses simple ingredients that could be found anywhere!
Main ingredients: > Quinoa > Turmeric > Onion + Garlic > Carrot + Potato
Although Quinoa is traditionally consumed as a soup dish in Peru, locals do cook it into other dishes as well. Quinoa salads are pretty standard, but certainly delicious, especially for those of you who love vegetables.
Those more adventurous with their cooking can transform Quinoa into fun appetisers like Quinoa balls. It is often mixed with either meat, vegetables or cheese and bind together with a bit of flour and egg. Yum!
Why is our Peruvian Quinoa more precious than other Quinoa?
Our Peruvian Quinoa is more precious than any other Quinoa because our farmers have to work twice as hard to harvest our Quinoa seeds in high altitude lands. We chose to have a Quinoa farm in high altitude lands because we know that Quinoa grows best between 2500m and 3800m above sea level. However, because of how high up our Quinoa farm is, our farmers are more prone to get altitude sickness. Labor is tougher, but the harvest produces some of the best quality quinoa you can find in the world!
Did you know? Peruvian Quinoa Farms empower Women!
In Peru, 40% of Quinoa farmers are made up of women. Peruvian women work hard in the fields even if they are still the main caregiver at home, taking care of their family and household. The increasing demand for Quinoa has in fact helped these women create a better life for their families, as the increase in price for the grain has improved general welfare in the small Peruvian farming communities.
From the mountains to the sea, the unique culture and cuisine, Peru is certainly a holiday destination unlike any other. This country is made for adventurers and lovers of history, nature and culture.
Would YOU visit Peru?
