Raw Material Toquilla Straw Palm- Materia prima paja toquilla

The toquilla straw (Cardoluvica Palmata) is a wild plant that is born on the Ecuadorian coast in the Montecristi canton, it grows around 3 meters and only grows in humid tropical forests in a period of 2 years, which is why its fiber is the protagonist in the weaving of authentic fine hats.
With this stem the following process is carried out:
The stems of the toquilla straw are opened, they are hit against the ground, the objective of this is to look for the heart of the stem, which is located in the middle, it is white, in some cases beige.
Then, with the help of a needle, the green edges of the fiber are separated or extracted, in order to select the correct part for the next process.
In this next step, the toquilla straw is boiled in a pot with firewood, with the help of both hands the fiber is rolled, to be immersed in the hot container for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Dried toquilla straw is stretched on cords for half an hour
Sahumed after remaining for the indicated time drying, the fiber is collected and placed in an oven with sulfur for 12 hours, to eliminate any residue and clarify the toquilla.
Curious fact: The palm is not completely felled, only the bud is extracted, so we always seek to preserve the care of the environment.
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