María Herminia and her colleagues are not just producers of viche; they are the guardians of a rich and deep culture, woven into every distillate they produce.
News Cali.
The life of María Herminia and the guardians of viche revolves around the culture of the Pacific, and her trip to Cali is just another chapter in a story that continues to be written with every drop of viche that comes out of her stills. By learning about her career, we delve into how she learned the secrets of yellow cane and, with tenacity, has passed them down from generation to generation.
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In the heart of Chocó, under Baudo, in a small village called Cuevita, María Herminia Santiesteban wakes up every day to the aroma of sugar cane growing strong and vibrant under the Pacific sun.
Who is Herminia?
Since she was a child, she learned from her mother the secrets of the yellow cane and the Propro (hard cane), those plant treasures that hold the history of a town in their sap.
María Herminia is more than a viche producer; she is a guardian of tradition, a woman who, with each distillation, honors her ancestors and keeps the essence of her culture alive.
Its still, a unique piece where wood and fire meet, is witness to long days of work, where each drop of distilled viche is a celebration of life, death, healing, work and music.
“Viche is not just a drink, it is our identity, our memory,” says María Herminia with the humility that characterizes her, while treasuring each lesson that was passed down to her through generations.
Invited by the Foundation for a Better Pacific and La Vichería, María Herminia, along with eleven other viche teachers and a vichero master, set out on a journey to Cali.
From remote areas such as the Cajambre River, Nuquí, Vurudó, Sibirú and the Saija River, these women traveled rivers, mountains and roads, challenging geography with the determination of those who know they carry an invaluable legacy in their hands.
The meeting in Cali was a space to share, learn and make visible the faces of those who, for generations, have kept the Viche culture alive.
The viche «Little cave«
There, María Herminia, with her brand “Cuevita”, presented her distillate to the public, a product that, as she herself describes, retains “the joyful flavour of the countryside.”
His gaze reflected the pride of carrying with him a heritage that is not only his own, but that of an entire people.
The Cuevita brand design was donated by Simon Londoño (Cali) and Randy Mora (Bogotá). Through creative collaboration and conversations with teacher Herminia, they created a visual universe full of symbols.
But the journey of María Herminia and her companions does not end in Cali.
When they return to their lands, they bring with them not only the pride of their tradition, but also the awareness that the future demands new challenges. María Herminia, who listened attentively to colleagues and experts at the meeting, understands that for the Viche to survive, it will be necessary to combine traditional, academic, scientific and technical knowledge.
Modernity may offer tools, but, as you well know, the essence of viche cannot be altered.
As teacher Herminia clearly put it: “Modernity has its place, but viche is more than a drink; it is our identity.”
She was offered a steel distiller, much more efficient, but her heart He remains faithful to the wooden machine he learned to operate from his grandmother.
Commitment, history and tradition
This same loyalty is what keeps all these women united in their purpose: to protect the memory and identity that the viche represents.
This meeting in Cali was not only an exchange of knowledge, but also a reaffirmation of the commitment of these guardians of the viche.
When they return to their villages, they know that their job is not just to produce a drink; it is to safeguard a tradition that has stood the test of time. With each distillate, with each bottle, they ensure that the history, the flavor and the soul of their town will endure for future generations.
In an interview with TuBarco, Herminía conveyed to us her cultural passion and love for what she does.
