In the heights of the Peruvian Andes, where the air becomes thinner and the night cold penetrates to the bone, there is an ancient tradition that has accompanied the native peoples since time immemorial: the use of the coca leaf(Erythroxylum coca).
Far from the erroneous interpretations that associate it exclusively with illicit products, the coca leaf is, in its authentic context, an essential natural resource, deeply rooted in the cosmovision, traditional medicine and subsistence of millions of people in the Andean region.
Knowing it in its right measure – as food, medicine, offering and cultural symbol – allows us to understand not only a plant, but a way of life that has resisted time, colonization and stigmatization.
Coca leaf cultivation and consumption date back to more than 3,000 years before Christ, according to archaeological evidence found in pre-Inca sites such as Paracas and Chavín. During the height of the Inca Empire, its use became institutionalized and was reserved mainly for the elite, priests and soldiers, although it was also distributed as part of the social reciprocity system.
The Incas considered coca a sacred plant, a link between the earthly world and the divine. It was used in religious ceremonies, offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth), divination and agricultural rituals. Its Quechua name, kuka, transcends its botanical dimension to become a symbol of Andean identity.
In the harsh environment of the highlands – where altitudes exceed 3,000 meters above sea level – the coca leaf fulfills vital functions for health and well-being. Its traditional consumption, which consists of chewing it together with a small amount of lime or ash (called llipta), releases small amounts of alkaloids, including cocaine, albeit in a form that is neither refined nor psychoactive in the conventional sense.
This process allows:
- Combat soroche (altitude sickness): improves oxygenation, reduces dizziness, fatigue and nausea.
- Suppress hunger and thirst: useful for farmers, shepherds and travelers on long journeys in extreme conditions.
- Regulates body temperature: helps to withstand the intense cold of the Andean nights.
- Relieve mild pain: it has been traditionally used for headache, muscular and dental pain.
- Improve concentration and physical endurance: especially valued by rural workers and carriers.
Ethnobotanical and medical studies have validated many of these effects, recognizing that traditional coca leaf consumption is safe, non-addictive and functional within its cultural context.
The most common method is the acullicado, which consists of forming a small bolus with selected leaves and placing it between the cheek and the gum. The llipta (an alkaline mixture) activates the release of active ingredients through a chemical reaction. The bolus can remain in the mouth for hours, releasing its properties in a slow and sustained manner.
It is also consumed in the form of mate de coca, a very popular infusion in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. This tea is prepared by boiling the fresh or dried leaves and is taken as a natural remedy against altitude sickness, insomnia or digestive stress. It is a daily drink in Andean homes, markets and offices.
In ritual ceremonies, the leaves are offered in k’intus -three perfect folded leaves- as a symbol of respect, balance and harmony. They are also used to divine the future, to ask permission from the earth before planting or to give thanks for harvests.
Confusion with cocaine and stigmatization
One of the greatest challenges facing the coca leaf is its unfair association with cocaine, a substance chemically derived in laboratories, with no direct relation to traditional use. While the leaf is consumed intact, naturally and socially regulated, cocaine is a concentrated and purified alkaloid that produces intense and potentially addictive psychostimulant effects.
This confusion has led to restrictive international policies, such as its inclusion in the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, despite protests from Andean countries that defend its legitimate use. Peru and Bolivia have led diplomatic efforts to differentiate the ancestral coca leaf from its illicit derivative, achieving advances such as partial exemption in international legal instruments.
Cultural and symbolic value
Beyond its physical properties, the coca leaf is a symbol of Andean resistance, identity and dignity. It represents the connection between human beings and nature, between the past and the present. Its presence in festivities, marriages, burials and agricultural rituals reinforces its role as a pillar of social cohesion.
For many indigenous communities, prohibiting access to coca would be like prohibiting bread in Europe or rice in Asia: an aggression against their way of life. For this reason, their defense is not only agricultural or economic, but also deeply cultural and spiritual.
Current use and regulation
Today, coca leaf consumption remains legal in Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, within regulatory frameworks that protect its traditional use. In Peru, its cultivation is regulated by the Head Unit of Controlled Materials (JUMAC), which oversees authorized production for legal, industrial and medicinal use.
In addition, derivative products have been developed such as chocolates, candies, gels and creams with coca extract, promoted as natural supplements for athletes or tourists. Although their international commercialization is limited by regulations, these products seek to revalue the plant without altering its essence.
Conclusion
The coca leaf is not a drug. It is an Andean antidote: against cold, fatigue, hunger, soroche and dehumanization. It is a plant of wisdom, resistance and balance. To reduce it to a chemical precursor is to ignore thousands of years of knowledge accumulated by peoples who have used it with respect, moderation and purpose.
Visiting the Andes and tasting a coca tea is not only an act of adaptation to the environment, but also a gesture of recognition towards a culture that has known how to live in harmony with nature. In every leaf, there is history. In each bolo, there is identity. And in each ceremony, there is living memory.
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