Aqhawasis

Aqhawasis, women producers of Chicha in the Sacred Valley of Urubamba, life, processes of production and sale of the ancestral drink as a way of sustenance and preserve the culture. Aqhawasi comes from the Quechua word Aqha (chicha) wasi (house), in its literal translation would come to be, house of the chicha, but with time the women in charge of preparing that ancestral drink, took the name of ajawasis also. One hour away from the city of Cusco is the town of Urubamba, Doña Visitacion, ajawasi woman, like many others, gets up at 4 am to sieve the jora (germinated maize) that boiled the day before , And the task begins, after 48 hours of preparation, following the process of grinding, boiling, sifting, and boiling again, the moment of the last sifting comes, and then serving the first glass of chicha, which is placed in some corner Of the house as an offering for some deceased family. Three days of work, to elaborate 25 liters of chicha, and to earn 10 dollars. Work only carried out by women, to preserve the Andean customs of the sacred drink of the Incas, miraculous drink for some with physical ailments, and infaltable in parties and meetings For being a slow brewing liquor. Women of strong histories, with family losses, poverty and deficiencies but in spite of everything an unshakable spirit in the face of adversity.