ulluco

Ulluco
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Basellaceae Genus: Ullucus Species: U. tuberosus
Binomial name
Ullucus tuberosus Caldas

Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) is a plant grown primarily as a root vegetable, secondarily as a leaf vegetable.

The ulluco is one of the most widely grown and economically important root crops in the Andean region of South America, second only to the potato. It is known there with the common name of papa lisa, but also by the regional names melloco (Ecuador), olluco (Peru, chugua (Colombia) or ruba (Venezuela). The leaf and the tuberous root are edible, similar to spinach and the potato, respectively. They are known to contain high levels of protein, calcium, and carotene. Papalisa were originally used and discovered by the Incas.

Usage

The major appeal of the ulluco is its crisp texture which, like the jicama, remains even when cooked. Because of its high water content, the ulloco is not suitable for frying or baking but it can be cooked in many other ways like the potato. In the pickled form, it is added to hot sauces. It is a basic ingredient together with the cubio in the typical Colombian dish cocido boyacense. They are generally cut into thin strips.

Oblong and thinly shaped, they grow to be only a few inches long. Varying in color, papalisa potatoes may be orange/yellow in color with red/pink/purple freckles. In Bolivia, they grow to be very colorful and decorative, though with their sweet and unique flavor they are rarely used for decoration.

External links

• Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne