Papa Seca

Drying potatoes is an ancient technique that is still in use to preserve these crops. Incas were so efficient at growing potatoes that they dried and stored the surplus, eradicating famines from their culture, as papa seca was always in stock. The drying method consists of cooking potatoes in boiling water, peeling them, and cutting them in medium-sized cubes or thin sticks. Then these pieces are sun-dried until they lose all their moisture and look like small crystals. After this process they are ready to be stored for a long time (more than a year).