Mamala Ankañoka is the favorite sweet treat of shepherd children and Andean armadillos in the highlands. It is a native fruit of the grasslands, emerging from cacti or “ch’illkas,” from whose sap it draws nourishment.

Its fuchsia-pink color shines like a joyful light in the middle of nowhere—fresh, very juicy, and with a sweet, earthy flavor. The inflorescence of the Ankanoka is valued as food, as it is the only fresh “fruit” available, and as a natural dye for coloring textiles. It is both medicine and a sacred offering in rituals.