{"id":6065,"date":"2024-07-18T15:45:17","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T20:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/?p=6065"},"modified":"2024-07-18T17:14:47","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T22:14:47","slug":"maras-salt-mines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cuscojourneys.com\/blog\/maras-salt-mines","title":{"rendered":"Maras Salt Mines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MarasDiscover the fascinating Maras Salt Mines in Cusco<\/a> and the Maras Salt, also known as pink salt or Andean salt, originates from the Maras salt mines in the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco<\/strong>. It is harvested using traditional methods that date back to the ancient Inca civilization. Maras salt is appreciated for its delicate flavor, unique pink color and mineral-rich composition. It is often used in gourmet cooking and is considered a special salt in the culinary world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in the Community of Maras, located on a slope of the Qaqawi\u00f1ay mountain in the middle of the Sacred Valley of the Incas<\/strong>, \u201ca small town 40 km from Cusco, the Maras Salt Mines<\/strong> are one of the most incredible places in the Andean South America, scene of pre-Hispanic economic activity that has supported generations of people from native cultures, including the Incas and currently taking advantage of their own community.<\/span><\/p>\n

History of the Maras Salt Mines<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Salineras de Maras date back to pre-Inca times. They are also the largest pre-Hispanic Salt Mines in Peru<\/strong>.\u00a0Historians know little about who exactly created the mines and when. However, archaeologists have found evidence of civilizations in Maras since about 700 BC. Of course, when the Incas came to power, they oversaw the area’s salt production.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, surprisingly the Spanish conquistadors never took over local salt production. Even after the Conquest, the locals continued to maintain the salt ponds of Maras. In fact, since its creation, salt extraction has never stopped in Maras.<\/span><\/p>\n

To this day, only locals of the communities of Maras and Pichingoto control the salt mines. Individual ponds belong to families living in these communities. They are then passed down from generation to generation. Also, when someone marries into the community, a new pond is created for the new couple.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maras Salt Water in the Andes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"MarasYou might be wondering how large amounts of salt deposits ended up in the middle of the Andes Mountains. Though the salt pans themselves are man-made, the water that is channeled through them comes from a subterranean natural spring, which is mixed with salt deposits from prehistoric salt lakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over millions of years, tectonic plate movement has buried the deposits deep beneath the mountains: the salt is accessible from an underground water flow of brine\u2060 a mixture of salt and water\u2060, that bubbles up in a natural spring near the small town of Maras.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Peruvian Maras Salt<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"PeruvianMaras salt, or maras salt, comes in three varieties: pink, white and brown<\/strong>. When the evaporation process is complete, the salt appears in these three layers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. First Layer is Peruvian pink salt.-<\/strong> It is salt of the highest quality and intended for use in gourmet cooking. As the name suggests, it comes in a light pink shade. Its richness in minerals from the local stream gives it a tasty flavor.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The second layer is white salt.-<\/strong> This so-called \u201cbulk salt\u201d is also intended for use in the kitchen. It is also rich in minerals, but its flavor is not as distinctive as pink salt.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The third and final layer is brown salt.-<\/strong> This type is used exclusively for agricultural and industrial use. During the rainy season, from November to April, most of the salt produced is brown salt.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Process of Maras Salt<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \"ProcessSince pre-Inca, salt has been obtained in \u201cMaras\u201d by evaporating salty water from a local subterranean stream. The highly salty water emerges at a spring which is a natural outlet of the underground stream. The flow is then directed into an intricate system of tiny channels. Maras salt, also known as Peruvian pink salt, is produced through a traditional and labor-intensive process that dates back to the Inca civilization<\/strong>. Below is an outline simplifying the process as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n