Mashua

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Mashua
Yellow mashua with yellow oca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Brassicales Family: Tropaeolaceae Genus: Tropaeolum Species: T. tuberosum
Binomial name
Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruíz and Pavón

The mashua (see below for other names) is a perennial plant grown in the Andes for its edible tuber, which is eaten as a root vegetable. It is a major food source there. The tuber is rather peppery in flavor^[1] when raw, but this quality disappears when cooked. It is related to nasturtiums, being of the Tropaeolum genus.

Contents 1 Alternative names 2 Growing mashua 3 Mashua as a food 4 Medicinal properties 5 References

[edit] Alternative names

This plant is commonly called mashua in Peru and Ecuador^[2], but other names include:

• Mashwa
• Maswallo
• Mazuko
• Mascho (Peru)
• Añu (in Peru and Bolivia)
• Isano
• Cubio (in Colombia)

[edit] Growing mashua

The plant grows vigorously even in marginal soils and in the presence of weeds. It is also well-adapted to high-altitude subsistence agriculture, and gives high yields; 30 tonnes per hectare are yielded at a height of 3000 metres, but up to 70 tons per hectare have been produced under research conditions^[3].

Its extraordinary resistance to insect, nematode, and bacterial pests is attributed to high levels of isothiocyanates. In Colombia, it is planted as a companion crop to repel pests in potato fields.

[edit] Mashua as a food

The tubers comprise as much as 75 percent of the mature plants by dry weight (40 percent is typical for cereals)^{[citation needed]}. Up to 75 percent of dry matter reaches the tubercle^[2].

Popularization of mashua may be limited by its strong flavor, and its reputation as an anti-aphrodisiac (see below).

[edit] Medicinal properties

It been recorded by the Spanish chronicler Cobo that mashua was fed to their armies by the Inca Emperors, "that they should forget their wives"^[3][4]. Indeed, studies of male rats fed on mashua tubers have shown a 45% drop in testosterone levels^[3].

Mashua has also been used to treat nephropathy, and as a diuretic.

[edit] References

1. ^ 10 perennial veggies to grow, San Francisco Gate
2. ^ ^{a b} Peace Diaries Workspace
3. ^ ^{a b c} Mashua Ethnobotanical Leaflet, Southern Illinois University
4. ^ Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation, National Academies Press