Tuesday- Pacha Manca Day!
**Note: Doing a Pacha Manca is actually quite an honor. This traditional Andean cooking method is usually only reserved for community celebrations. As a result, this post is photo heavy, so all of the photos will be at the end of the update.
Hello all!
We just wrapped up our seventh day in Huancayo.
After breakfast and our morning liturgy, we headed outside to help prepare lunch. We were making a traditional dish: Pacha Manca. Our first task was to shuck corn, which we then turned into sweet tamales. They were similar to cornbread. Preparing the Pacha Manca was a big deal. We filled a hot fireplace with potatoes, then stacked hot rocks on top of them. Then a layer of chicken and lamb. More rocks, then a layer of the sweet tamales. We topped it off with green beans and bananas. We covered the whole pile with large paper bags, plastic, and finally dirt. We let everything cook under the dirt for about an hour.
After the hour was up, we uncovered our meal. Everything looked so tasty! We went inside to eat. Not only was the food delicious, but Pacha Manca is a traditional dish, and it was so exciting to see how it was made. The family we are staying with truly want us to know what it is like to live in Peru.
When lunch ended, it was time for school! We continued teaching English to the children. It is incredible to see how excited they are to learn. They are always so joyful, which makes teaching them fun. God has given us an amazing group of kids, and we all will really miss them when we leave.
After teaching at the school, our group went on a hike to see ancient ruins. The local people fought the Incas and the ruins we saw were constructed around 1300AD. It was amazing to see that parts of the buildings that were still standing.
We ended our day with dinner and 'hot seat'. Hot Seat is a time when one member of our group shares about how they learned to love. It is a time of vulnerability, and it really helps us grow closer as a group. Hot Seat allows for good conversation and has been such a blessing for our group.
We have another action-packed day for tomorrow (Wed) so we will talk to you soon! We have been enjoying our time here and love serving the community we are in. Thanks for following along!
-Morgan (Robert Morris)
ps. Hi Mom & Dad! I hope you don't miss me too much! :) Say hi to Ringo for me. I love you and will see you soon. <3 Morgan
(The hominy after the students shucked the corn, and then grinding it to make Umitas- Sweet Tamales)
(Filling the umitas with the freshly ground filling)
(Gathering plants and herbs)
(Everything that goes into the Pacha Manca!)
(Which includes bananas!)
(Neighbor Rosita guides the process. First they remove the hot stones from the oven- the cover photo for this entry-with tongs, then add each food in layers with hot rocks in between. The plants go last before burlap coverings and dirt seal in the heat and flavor. The preparation process takes four to five hours. Now it will cook!)
(Taking a break while the Pacha Manca cooks for an hour.)
(It's time to see if our effort has paid off. The beans and bananas on top look great! Students pull them off by hand into bowls. Next are the umitas and we are already eating parts that are stuck to the rocks. So delicious!)
(After we remove the lamb and chicken, it's time to remove the hot potatoes. Peru is known to have over 3,000 varieties-no that's not a typo!-of potatoes, and our hosts say there are 100 varieties here in this valley!)
(Time to eat! We can't believe our eyes at the abundance, and the fun news is that this meal is eaten with our fingers!)
Hello all!
We just wrapped up our seventh day in Huancayo.
After breakfast and our morning liturgy, we headed outside to help prepare lunch. We were making a traditional dish: Pacha Manca. Our first task was to shuck corn, which we then turned into sweet tamales. They were similar to cornbread. Preparing the Pacha Manca was a big deal. We filled a hot fireplace with potatoes, then stacked hot rocks on top of them. Then a layer of chicken and lamb. More rocks, then a layer of the sweet tamales. We topped it off with green beans and bananas. We covered the whole pile with large paper bags, plastic, and finally dirt. We let everything cook under the dirt for about an hour.
After the hour was up, we uncovered our meal. Everything looked so tasty! We went inside to eat. Not only was the food delicious, but Pacha Manca is a traditional dish, and it was so exciting to see how it was made. The family we are staying with truly want us to know what it is like to live in Peru.
When lunch ended, it was time for school! We continued teaching English to the children. It is incredible to see how excited they are to learn. They are always so joyful, which makes teaching them fun. God has given us an amazing group of kids, and we all will really miss them when we leave.
After teaching at the school, our group went on a hike to see ancient ruins. The local people fought the Incas and the ruins we saw were constructed around 1300AD. It was amazing to see that parts of the buildings that were still standing.
We ended our day with dinner and 'hot seat'. Hot Seat is a time when one member of our group shares about how they learned to love. It is a time of vulnerability, and it really helps us grow closer as a group. Hot Seat allows for good conversation and has been such a blessing for our group.
We have another action-packed day for tomorrow (Wed) so we will talk to you soon! We have been enjoying our time here and love serving the community we are in. Thanks for following along!
-Morgan (Robert Morris)
ps. Hi Mom & Dad! I hope you don't miss me too much! :) Say hi to Ringo for me. I love you and will see you soon. <3 Morgan
(The hominy after the students shucked the corn, and then grinding it to make Umitas- Sweet Tamales)
(Filling the umitas with the freshly ground filling)
(Gathering plants and herbs)
(Everything that goes into the Pacha Manca!)
(Which includes bananas!)
(Neighbor Rosita guides the process. First they remove the hot stones from the oven- the cover photo for this entry-with tongs, then add each food in layers with hot rocks in between. The plants go last before burlap coverings and dirt seal in the heat and flavor. The preparation process takes four to five hours. Now it will cook!)
(Taking a break while the Pacha Manca cooks for an hour.)
(It's time to see if our effort has paid off. The beans and bananas on top look great! Students pull them off by hand into bowls. Next are the umitas and we are already eating parts that are stuck to the rocks. So delicious!)
(After we remove the lamb and chicken, it's time to remove the hot potatoes. Peru is known to have over 3,000 varieties-no that's not a typo!-of potatoes, and our hosts say there are 100 varieties here in this valley!)
(Time to eat! We can't believe our eyes at the abundance, and the fun news is that this meal is eaten with our fingers!)