Within a couple of days of arriving in Cuispes, my new friend Marcial invited me to the molienda for a get-together. How do I even begin to describe what this is? It is basically a vertical press consisting of two large cylinders that are spun about gears. These gears are turned by long wooden planks attached to the heads and horns of two large bulls (yuntas). As they walk around in a circle, they spin the press with someone feeding sugarcane stalks into it, pressing and squeezing out its sugary juices. This is turned into Guarapo, which is served as is, can be fermented into a lite alcoholic beverage, or heated for a thicker green and sweet dessert-like beverage. The link is to a great video about the historical and cultural significance of Guarapo of the nearby town of Luya.

As soon as I got there, I was offered a warm plate of rice, chicken, beans, and salad. I sat with Marcial eating as I was offered fermented guarapo from a small wooden bowl carved out of the Huingo tree. More commonly known as the Calabash, this tree is used by locals for a plethora of medicinal properties, including respiratory, digestive, inflammation, and other issues.

The men manned the molienda, tended to the large metal bowl-like pans boiling guarapo over an oven fed by wood and fire. Most of the men are under the shade, chewing coca leaves flavored with cal in small amounts taken from personal, round wooden containers. The coca leaves are further flavored with mapache cigarettes, cigarettes made of pure regional tobacco rolled in white paper with no additives. The women are all grouped together “chismeando” and laughing as they strain boiled guayaba into a seedless paste, preparing to turn this into candy. All this is in preparation for the Festivales Patronales de San Fernando that take place in October.

I joined the women because as much as I enjoyed drinking and chewing coca leaves with the men, I was feeling lazy with all this work that needed to be done. The women and I strained guayaba that day in between cups of regular, fermented, and warm guayaba, laughing as they joked about anything and everything. By the time I left, I was so full and feeling a sugar high, with my hands sticky and the ends of my long sleeves caked in guayaba pulp. This was one of my favorite experiences that was rich in tradition, culture, and friendship.