Creamy Yellow Oca Tuber – Oxalis tuberosum
Creamy Yellow Oca Tuber is one of the important crops of the Andes. Grown by the natives as a food source for centuries. Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and New Zealand are the largest producers of this species as a commercial crop. Breeders have created many varieties.
Colors of the tubers vary by cultivar. Colors may include dark purple, magenta, red, amber, yellow, green, brown, and variegated. It is tasty and nutritious. When eaten raw, they are crunchy, mild and taste of apple. Also, these can be prepared in other ways: boiled, baked, roasted or fried. Often are incorporated into stews and soups, or sweetened as a dessert in the Andes. Oca can also be made into a nice marmalade. In Mexico, oca is eaten raw with salt, lemon and hot peppers.