Which Inca goddess was associated with the coca plant?

The Inca goddess associated with the coca plant was Mama Coca. Also called Mama Koka or Cocomama, she represented the sacred coca leaf and was linked with health, happiness, and vitality.

Coca was deeply important in the Andes long before its modern association with cocaine. Indigenous peoples chewed the leaves, brewed them as tea, and used them in offerings and religious ceremonies. The plant could ease hunger and fatigue, especially in high-altitude environments, which helped make it culturally significant.

One tradition says coca grew from the body of Mama Coca after she was killed and divided. This origin story explains why the plant was treated as more than an ordinary crop. Mama Coca is sometimes confused with Pachamama, the earth mother, or Mama Quilla, the moon goddess; those figures have different roles in Inca religion.