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The meaning of the egg fruit in the pre-Hispanic World

Whereas for the Christian world the apple is a symbol of the creation of the universe, in the cosmic vision of ancient Peruvians, that role was played by the egg fruit, hereafter referred to by its local name, lucuma. Not only does it have an allegoric meaning, however, as a witness of the origin of things, but--unlike the apple--it was also an important staple food, being a good source of carbohydrates and rich in minerals and vitamins. It is therefore a symbolic, nutritious and medicinal food all in one.

In pre-Hispanic times, the lucuma was associated with fertility. Excavations indicate that the soil in which they were cultivated was rich in components on which a large variety of food crops thrive. As far as archaeologist and botanical expert Elia Centurion is concerned, it is always connected with good soil and sufficient water. Besides, its sensual, supple shape can easily be associated with a nurturing breast. The fact that a milky white liquid appears when a peduncle of unripe fruit is picked, reinforces this image.

In geographical terms, the largest quantity of vestiges of this plant was found in coastal valleys. In her archaeological work, Centurion observed that the remnants of lucuma found in various pre-Hispanic fields indicate that this crop gradually grew more intensively from the time of the Mochica culture, about 200 years A.D. This date marked the beginning of a mass consumption of this fruit, thanks to intensive farming with irrigation, fertilizers and innovative working instruments. This tendency decreased during the Spanish conquest. Evidence shows that the pre-Hispanic diet relied on a triad of basic foods: lucuma together with pacae (ice-cream pod) or guava, corn and legumes, defined by Luis Lumbreras as "the Corn or Mesothermal Complex". In highland areas, legumes were replaced by quinoa and kiwicha.

There are about 32 varieties of the pouteria lucuma species, many of them wild. However, the first evidence discovered dates back to 8,000 years B.C. in the area known as Callejon de Huaylas in Ancash.

Even though it is light, timber from lucuma trees was used for carpentry or woodwork. The posts of bases that sustained the Pachacamac sanctuary were made of lucuma wood. In addition, an impressive double-faced totem was discovered in those ruins (1938), which represented the Pachacamac god, carved with corn figures and a multitude of animals and anthropomorphous characters. This dual divinity totem was one of the most prestigious and feared oracles of the Andean area, which was consulted about the destiny of men and the future of the harvest, among other concerns. The excavations revealed that among the different offerings discovered, corn and lucuma prevailed.

Beliefs and uses of the lucuma in today’s Andean world

The lucuma grows on the coast, in the highlands and in jungle fringe areas. It forms part of daily diets, either as a staple snack for travelers or as a readily available fruit to relieve hunger. It is also considered a medicinal plant. The leaves are used to cure skin irritations like impetigo or ringworm. In jungle fringe areas, lucuma juice is used to relieve diabetes and those who have tried it have had positive results. In addition, the leaves are an effective dye for textiles.

Andean people not only have a strong utilitarian link with the lucuma, but a symbolic one as well, according to reports about its role in their supernatural beliefs. In Cajamarca, for example, people are convinced that if one points a finger at a lucuma tree, the finger will either drop off or rot. In Ayacucho, the lucuma tree is the subject of much respect and fear: it is not advisable to pass by it at night because it is populated by ghosts. It is considered to be an enchanted area inhabited by owls; therefore it is preferable to prevent magic spells by not growing a lucuma tree at home. It is worth noting that lucumas are produced and consumed in abundance in Ayacucho; the people of Huanta are considered to be gluttons for this fruit, which is even fed to babies; hence their nickname "lucuma supi". When they wish to cure a child, they make an offering to the mountains (apus), leaving various fruits, including lucuma pips.

“Lucuma ñahui” is an expression used in Huancavelica to describe people with swollen or bulging eyes. They believe that if a lucuma pip hits anyone in the eye it will immediately swell up, even though the swelling is far more likely to be caused by the bump rather than by the "powers" of this fruit.

People in the northern department of Lambayeque, where lucumas have always grown abundantly, believe that a lucuma tree has the power to stunt the growth of anyone passing underneath it at night, that they will never grow again...

It is worth mentioning that lucuma trees grow in Bolivia, Chile and Loja in Ecuador. In Peru, however, 26 small villages in different parts of the country are named after this fruit; 20 are called lucma and 5 lucuma. Although various villages were named after plants that ancient Peruvians considered important, lucuma outnumbers them all: five villages are called Pacae and Pacay, four are called Chirimoya (the name for custard apple) and eight were named Chirimoyo. Lucuma is more prominent in both qualitative and quantitative terms.