Cheers for friendship

Although this drink is spread everywhere in Latin America, at Peruvian Andean Northern it has a special connotation not for a particular preparation procedure but the meaning that the people have given to it.

 

 

 

For Huancabamba’s people, at the Andean Range of Piura Region, the eggnog means thanks, folk. Of course, there is no regarding written rule but judging because of the occasions context it has been served, it is almost a ritual.

 

 

This drink is only brought wwhen somebody wants to recognize someone else –much more if foreigner—some kind of favor or simply the fact of having a very nice meeting. The preparation is simple: a egg white is taken in a soup dish, and it is shaken with a spoon until getting snow point. It’s true that shakers relieve the hard work, but for any reason, the modern times do not enter this field yet.

 

 

Usually, the shake has been a female job. Today, menand women do the work, although the most of times, the women get the snow point faster, not losing consistence. Once the shaken egg gets that white texture, schnapps is added, a little vanilla, some sugar… and it’s ready!

 

 

 

When we did an advocacy assignment at Ñangalí Village, at the north of Huancabamba City, in July 2003, the town we met granted us with eggnog. While we produce dan interview to leader Josefa Adrianzén, in Lima City, the group of women supporting her invited us eggnog too. Just later, we realized we were amid many Huancabamba natives livin in Peru’s capital city.

 

 

So, if you go anytime to Huancabamba, and the people invite you this schnapps and shaken egg drink, don’t refuse even if you are teetotaler. The people are not only cheering at you vut saying you – thanks, folk.

 

 

The cañazo drink

• Another Huancabamba’s ethilic tradition is the cañazo or sugarcane distilled liquor. There is no local who has any bottle to drink with friends and visitors. The cañazo is made at artisan distillers across the communities of Huancabamba Valley. It does not have the flavor of a tequilabut the intensity and the drunkinness is almost inmediate.
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However, there are many scrubs around the cañazo. In fact, the alcoholism in this zone is a very hard issue although without clear strategies to fight it. Many teenagers begin with this drink because it’s the cheapest one and the easiest one to get – 3.3 ounces per 30 U.S. dollar’s cents compared to A 2.5-ounz beer bottle that costs 1.10 U.S. dollars.

 

 

Marina Herrera, In Huancabamba, collaborated to this entry.

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