22/02/2017
Artists, craftsmen and chefs such as awarded and world renowned Virgilio Martínez flocked to the Sacred Valley of the Incas this weekend for the Momento Andes event, the first of its kind in Peru. Featuring great food, music and seminars, the three-day event was held at the beautiful Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba. The occasion saw a “meeting of the minds” as guests gathered to enjoy a series of practical workshops, activities and talks centred around sustainable farming, Peruvian cuisine and traditional art & textiles.
Experts such as Argentinean Chef and TV host Narda Lepes, Inkaterra’s Founder Jose Koechlin, food critic Javier Masias and mixologist expert, Simone Caporale attended the event to celebrate traditional culture and food and to learn more about how sustainability can play a role in these sectors.
As enthusiastic guests arrived, weavers from Chinchero, one of the Sacred Valley’s seven districts, welcomed them to the hotel. Attendees enjoyed demonstration of the traditional weaving methods and materials used, whilst a variety of handmade textiles were displayed.
From small belts and bags to larger woven throws and shawls, the Chinchero weavers produce a variety of traditional and vibrantly coloured products. Below Nilda Callañaupa Cusco’s Master Weaver, explains how the weaving community is trying to rescue the traditional ancestral textile traditions of the Incas.
The colour used for the dyes often comes from local plants such as Chila (below), which is boiled and used to create a dark green dye.
Around the hotel, delicious nibbles such as Andean corn, grilled on an open fire were available for guests to snack on.
Narda Lepes, Argentinean celebrity Chef and TV host, teaches guests how to make a Pachamanca, a traditional method of cooking underground, and baptises it with a cerveza!
The flavours of organic Peruvian cacao were sampled as Ivan Murrugarra and food critic Javier Masias guided guests through a unique tasting.
Virgilio Martínez and Simone Caporale, previously from Artesian Bar and voted World’s Best Barman, try their hand at organic corn farming on Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba’s eco farm.
Perfect timing, and great for the crops, a light shower indicated that it was time to move on inside. Guests, with tea and Pisco Sours in hand, sat comfortably in the dining hall, ready for the presentations to begin.
Upon the third day, it was time to bid farewell to our lovely guests, who left with a few takeaways and a smile on their face. Thank you to all who came and those who supported online.
For more information on the Momento Andes event, please click here.
The Momento Andes event was recorded live on our Facebook page
