Pacha Manka - An Ancient Andean Food Ceremony

Pacha Manka is the Andean ceremonial kitchen where food is prepared within Mother Earth. It is practiced in ceremonies such as the solstices and equinoxes of the agricultural calendar, weddings, welcomes, farewells, and expressions of gratitude to Father Sun and Mother Earth for the gift of corn, the staple food, and also to give thanks for life.

In a hole in the ground, hot volcanic stones are placed, forming a pot. In the center of this pot, the food is placed: corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, fruits, and meat. The food is covered with a cloth and earth. On top, an altar is formed where all those present offer a flower, giving thanks and making requests for their life's purposes. In this underground union between stones and food, an intense heat is produced that cooks the food perfectly.

This ceremony is led by Ecuadorian medicine man Tua Amari Lema,…