Today we take on "Big Protein" and travel through the Andes Mountains, where generations of Inca wisdom takes seed in chocho, a magical bean which regenerates both people and the planet.

Our guide is the magnetic Ricky Echanique. Ricky is a fifth-generation Ecuadorian farmer and entrepreneur. As a former professional athlete, Ricky faced health and digestion issues that set him on a quest to find better forms of plant-based protein. This journey ultimately led him back home to Ecuador where he discovered Chocho, a nearly forgotten food, traditionally grown in rural, high altitude regions as a rotation crop, which turns out to be incredibly high in bio-available protein, amino acids, minerals, and more. In the years since, Ricky has built a powerful network of indigenous farmers and vertically integrated systems to share Chocho with the world through his company MIKUNA.

We discuss

• The regenerative roots of Mikuna Foods
• Ricky's journey with inflammation & plant-based proteins
• How Ricky discovered Chocho while exploring Amazonian herbs
• Nutrient profiles for different protein sources
• What makes Chocho a superior plant protein
• The resilience of Ecuadorian farmers & devotion to their land
• Why Reciprocity is key

Thank you Ricky for sharing your journey of Mikuna Foods with us!

enter SOUNDFOODFAMILY for 25% off everything Mikunafoods.com

Catch Nitsa's Jam Session with Ricky Echanique here

CONNECT

Ricky Echanique: IG | Mikuna Foods

Host @nitsacitrine @soundfoodspace

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MENTIONED

Mikuna Foods

Kelly Ryerson

Steven Donziger

Nathalie Kelley

EP 86: PROTECTING OUR SOIL AND CELLS with Kelly Ryerson

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

EP 62: TRANSFORMATION THROUGH REGENERATION with John Roulac

EP 32: A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS: Film, Farming, Fungi and the Future with Nathalie Kelley

EP 36: THE FUTURE IS SYMBIOTIC: Radical Indigenism and Lo-TEK Design with Julia Watson

NOURISH

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MIKUNA: enter SOUNDFOODFAMILY for 25% off regenerative plant protein from Mikunafoods.com

LIVING TEA: use SOUNDFOOD for 15% off all tea livingtea.net

SUPERFEAST: enter CITRINE for 10% off our favorite tonic herbs + superfoods superfeast.com

OSEA: enter CITRINE for 10% off oseamalibu.com sea-to-skin magic

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