Top-grade extra fine indigo powder, artisanally made from Indigofera tinctoria (locally known as Xiquilite), extracted through traditional fermentation with wood ash on an organic farm in El Salvador.

This indigo is exceptional in quality, with a tested indigotin percentage of 53.8% and only 6.3% residual wood ash — true top-tier standards. It carries a unique smoky aroma, distinct from the fruity/compost scent of Indian indigo, a result of extraction with wood lye from ashed logs.

Active dye components: indigotin, indirubin
CI Natural Blue 1

Historical & Cultural Notes

El Salvador is the leading indigo producer in Latin America, a legacy dating back to the Maya and Pipil people. As early as 800 CE, indigo was used to color pottery and fabrics, often combined with clay to form a blue so resilient it survives on frescoes today. During the Spanish colonial period, indigo cultivation dominated the economy, with enslaved labor producing vast amounts of dyestuff for European textiles.

After independence in 1821, indigo farming declined as synthetics took over. Today, however, indigo production has been revived through fair-trade, sustainable farming projects. These initiatives create dignified jobs — even reintegrating ex-guerilla fighters into a peaceful workforce — building a more sustainable future from the country’s historic “blue rivers of indigo.”

Shading Tips

• No mordant needed: indigo bonds physically with fiber
• Multiple dips build color depth, from pale aqua to deep navy
• Overdye with weld or fustic: brilliant emeralds and leaf greens
• Overdye with madder or cochineal: violets, plums, and purples
• Iron post-treatment: muted smoky blues and greys