My good Friend Amando Barzola ((RIP) a agriculture expert of Andean food crops brought back many examples of Traditional Ecuadorian staples this one to the Northwest . I have been growing these tubers for many years .Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum – also commonly known as tuberous nasturtium, añu, or cubio) is a root crop that was developed in the Andes mountains of South America. It is not known how long it has been cultivated, but it is likely that it had been grown for at least 1000 years before the arrival of Pizarro brought an end to the Inca empire. Opinions seem split on whether mashua is the oldest or youngest of the major Andean root crops. Mashua is a member of the nasturtium family and has a form similar to the common garden Nasturtium. It has long twining stems on which three to five lobed leaves form. In the fall (or late summer for the variety Ken Aslet), mashua forms trumpet-shaped orange or orange and yellow flowers. It is an attractive plant and is probably better known as an ornamental than an edible outside of its native range. Plants grow up to at least 8 and possibly up to 12 feet tall if given something to climb. They are fast growing in cool, wet weather and are generally able to out-compete and smother weeds. Underground, the plant forms tubers that reach up to at least 13 inches in length, although more typically in the 3 to 8 inch range. The tubers have a shiny, waxy skin that cleans easily. Tubers cluster relatively closely under the base of the plant. Most mashua varieties have predominantly white tubers, although yellow, orange, red, and purple tubers are formed by some varieties. Given a long enough frost-free autumn, plenty of water, and an overall cool climate, mashua can produce very high yields. We average 5lb per plant, but have seen as much as 16lb from a single plant. Warm climate yields are smaller; perhaps 2-3lb per plant.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:07:44 +0000
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