Men preparing a field for planting using the chakitaclla, or foot plow, in Ayaviri,
Puno, Peru. Sebastián Turpo. TAFOS Photographic Archive/PUCP, Lima, Peru.In addition to the three main zones, people also cultivated the ceja de montaña
(eyebrow of the jungle), a region of high rainfall and warmer temperatures that
lies between the high-altitude puna and the tropical forest of Amazonia along the
eastern flanks of the Andes. An essential crop grown in this zone was coca leaf,
so vital to both domestic and ceremonial life. People chewed coca leaves with a
small amount of lime or potash, which released the active alkaloid ingredients
causing mild numbness and reducing fatigue and hunger. In a challenging
environment like the highlands, coca was an asset for agriculturalists. Coca also
had ceremonial importance and was a frequent offering to the gods.
An underappreciated aspect of Andean agriculture was the practice of freeze-
drying food. Meat, fish, and plant foods could all be processed to remove
moisture and improve storage. Potatoes, for instance, are freeze dried by soaking
them in running water and allowing them to freeze at night, followed by drying
in the intense sun during the day. By doing this over the course of a week or so,
the moisture is eliminated. This made the food lighter, easier to transport and
preserve. Inca storehouses at major administrative centers such as Huánuco
Pampa housed vast amounts of freeze-dried food.