Family Nyctaginaceae

Mauka, also known as chago, was an important root crop of the Inca empire. After being relatively forgotten for centuries, it was rediscovered in the mid-twentieth century in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia and is now widely cultivated throughout the Andes from Venezuela to Chile. It is a valuable root crop in part because it thrives at high altitudes. The leaves of the plant are tender like spinach and can be eaten raw in salads. The hardy tuberous root grows up to 16 inches/40.5 centimeters long, with several fingers (perhaps arms is more descriptive) shooting out from the stem. The tubers are often sun dried, which enhances their sweet flavor and eliminates their natural bitterness. They must always be eaten cooked because they contain a compound that will irritate the mouth’s mucous membranes if eaten raw. Drying enhances the tuber’s sweet flavor and eliminates bitterness. In Bolivia, mauka is commonly boiled and then tossed with honey, molasses, or sugar. The cooking liquid is then consumed as a sweet soft drink.