Alan Davidson

Arracacha

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

arracacha Arracacia xanthorrhiza, a plant which belongs to the same family as celery, parsnip, and carrot (and is sometimes called Peruvian or white carrot), is unique among the cultivated members of this family in being native to the New World. It is a popular vegetable in the northern part of S. America and parts of the Caribbean; but attempts to grow it elsewhere have failed.

The roots, which resemble those of a large carrot or a small, blunt parsnip, grow in clusters. The colour of the flesh ranges from white to pale yellow or purple, and the texture is like that of a potato. The flavour has been described as a mixture of parsnip, celery, and carrot; or of parsnip and roasted chestnut.