Acullico (coca chewing) Day 🍃

The acullico

Acullico or chacchado (coca chewing) is a traditional practice that takes place in the Andean towns of South America, even before the Incas. Its importance transcends the social, spiritual and other aspects that are important for man in life, for this reason on January 11th of each year the Day of the Acullico is celebrated in the towns of South America and the world.

It is known that the consumption of Coca leaves is beneficial for humans because of their amount of minerals and nutrients, but the defense of the aquatic or chacchado practice (chewing Coca leaves) is based on the fact that it has special importance in traditional life for the people in the Andes.

Although there are many ways to consume the Andean Leaves, the Acullico consists of chewing directly and retaining them on the back of the mouth between the cheeks and the gums. It is common to accompany it with the Llipta, which is a dough formed by a mixture of lime and amaranth or quinoa ash, which improves the extraction of alkaloids in the coca leaf, thus allowing it to take advantage of its energy and flavor to the fullest.

The chacchado of coca leaves is practiced on a daily basis by the man of the Andes to withstand the cold and raise their physical strength in places where oxygen is scarce, we speak of heights above 3,000 meters where the main economic activities are the agriculture and mining. Each of these activities have very peculiar customs linked to the Acullico and the Coca leaf.

In Andean Leaves we have the social commitment to Revalue the elements that constitute the Andean identity, especially its natural and cultural resources. Given the characteristics of Acullico, they qualify it as one of the most important resources of the Andes, an invaluable cultural heritage.

Andean Leaves as ambassador of these resources not only offer the best quality of Coca Leaves in the region, but we promote the use of Llipta because we know the importance of this supplement that elevates the sweetness of your favorite leaves. In the coming weeks we will have more varieties of Llipta made with Yuca and fruits, exclusive of Andean Leaves.