![\"Corn,](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/conserving-inca-foods-agriculture-corn-colors-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA Bit of History<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn the height of the reign of the Incas, they controlled a huge part of the land that incorporated a lot of what we now know as Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and even some of Colombia and Argentina. As you can see, they had a lot of influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This vast reach allowed them to be able to produce a wide variety of food <\/a><\/strong>and meant they had a lot to work with. They worried a lot about making sure that the whole population had enough food to eat and they invented varying ways to preserve food for long periods. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s no\ndoubt that this culture enjoyed one of the most advanced and diverse food\ndistribution and conservation systems in all the world at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/history-conserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBenefits of These Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThere are huge advantages to being able to store food in large batches and keep them preserved. These being the fact that during large bouts of famine due to drought, they had enough food to send to areas that were badly affected and were without food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nput in to place a system similar to \u2018loans\u2019. This was where those who really\nneeded food but didn\u2019t have any, could take some and pay for it later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An excellent fact is that if the Incan army were fighting<\/a><\/strong>, they would likely outlast the others just because they had so much food to keep them going and to give them the energy they needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Benefits](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/benefits-these-techniquesconserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA Closer Look at the Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAgriculture\nwas one of the most important parts of Incan life and they put great emphasis\non the management of food supplies. In times when there was more than enough\nfood to go around, they developed techniques to save it for when there wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s focus\non the four main categories regarding the methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food preserved in \u2018Qollcas\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSome\nstorage buildings were built into the side of steep hills. There was one in\neach community and they were responsible for their Qollca and preserving food\nin it. The air through valleys would make sure that things were kept cold and\nit was difficult for the storage rooms to get very warm with the wind that\nbuilt up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nmade sure that they put drainage systems in place so that all moisture in the\nroom would trickle away and not damage the produce. The shape of the Qollcas\ndiffered depending on what was to be stored there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Food](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/qollca-collca-conserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFreeze Drying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis is a technique that is growing in popularity around the globe nowadays, and it\u2019s incredible to think that the Incas used it so many years ago. It\u2019s perfect for conserving nutrients and even reducing the weight of the food if it needed to be carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can imagine those in the army or the Chaskis who ran from one village to the next, keeping this kind of food on them as it weighed next to nothing so it was easy to have on you. Today, this method is very popular with space traveling and camping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two potatoes that are still frequently consumed today in the Andes that use this technique. They are Chuno and Moraya. You can try them on your trip to Peru and will find they have a unique taste but are very nice! You\u2019ll easily find them when in Cusco or the Sacred Valley<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no\ndoubt that this culture enjoyed one of the most advanced and diverse food\ndistribution and conservation systems in all the world at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBenefits of These Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThere are huge advantages to being able to store food in large batches and keep them preserved. These being the fact that during large bouts of famine due to drought, they had enough food to send to areas that were badly affected and were without food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nput in to place a system similar to \u2018loans\u2019. This was where those who really\nneeded food but didn\u2019t have any, could take some and pay for it later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An excellent fact is that if the Incan army were fighting<\/a><\/strong>, they would likely outlast the others just because they had so much food to keep them going and to give them the energy they needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA Closer Look at the Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAgriculture\nwas one of the most important parts of Incan life and they put great emphasis\non the management of food supplies. In times when there was more than enough\nfood to go around, they developed techniques to save it for when there wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s focus\non the four main categories regarding the methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food preserved in \u2018Qollcas\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSome\nstorage buildings were built into the side of steep hills. There was one in\neach community and they were responsible for their Qollca and preserving food\nin it. The air through valleys would make sure that things were kept cold and\nit was difficult for the storage rooms to get very warm with the wind that\nbuilt up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nmade sure that they put drainage systems in place so that all moisture in the\nroom would trickle away and not damage the produce. The shape of the Qollcas\ndiffered depending on what was to be stored there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFreeze Drying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis is a technique that is growing in popularity around the globe nowadays, and it\u2019s incredible to think that the Incas used it so many years ago. It\u2019s perfect for conserving nutrients and even reducing the weight of the food if it needed to be carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can imagine those in the army or the Chaskis who ran from one village to the next, keeping this kind of food on them as it weighed next to nothing so it was easy to have on you. Today, this method is very popular with space traveling and camping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two potatoes that are still frequently consumed today in the Andes that use this technique. They are Chuno and Moraya. You can try them on your trip to Peru and will find they have a unique taste but are very nice! You\u2019ll easily find them when in Cusco or the Sacred Valley<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA Closer Look at the Techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAgriculture\nwas one of the most important parts of Incan life and they put great emphasis\non the management of food supplies. In times when there was more than enough\nfood to go around, they developed techniques to save it for when there wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s focus\non the four main categories regarding the methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food preserved in \u2018Qollcas\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nSome\nstorage buildings were built into the side of steep hills. There was one in\neach community and they were responsible for their Qollca and preserving food\nin it. The air through valleys would make sure that things were kept cold and\nit was difficult for the storage rooms to get very warm with the wind that\nbuilt up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nmade sure that they put drainage systems in place so that all moisture in the\nroom would trickle away and not damage the produce. The shape of the Qollcas\ndiffered depending on what was to be stored there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFreeze Drying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis is a technique that is growing in popularity around the globe nowadays, and it\u2019s incredible to think that the Incas used it so many years ago. It\u2019s perfect for conserving nutrients and even reducing the weight of the food if it needed to be carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can imagine those in the army or the Chaskis who ran from one village to the next, keeping this kind of food on them as it weighed next to nothing so it was easy to have on you. Today, this method is very popular with space traveling and camping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two potatoes that are still frequently consumed today in the Andes that use this technique. They are Chuno and Moraya. You can try them on your trip to Peru and will find they have a unique taste but are very nice! You\u2019ll easily find them when in Cusco or the Sacred Valley<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some\nstorage buildings were built into the side of steep hills. There was one in\neach community and they were responsible for their Qollca and preserving food\nin it. The air through valleys would make sure that things were kept cold and\nit was difficult for the storage rooms to get very warm with the wind that\nbuilt up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also\nmade sure that they put drainage systems in place so that all moisture in the\nroom would trickle away and not damage the produce. The shape of the Qollcas\ndiffered depending on what was to be stored there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Freeze](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/freeze-drying-conserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")
![\"Smoke](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/smoke-preservation-conserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Chalona,](\"https:\/\/www.salkantaytrekking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/salt-preservation-conserving-inca-foods-agriculture.jpg\")