Hopin Alba Oca – Oxalis tuberosum
Hopin Alba Oca tubers are usually red in color and fade to pink and then white toward the ends of the tubers. The eyes may have the same color as the skin or may be white. There is a lot of color variation with this one. Smaller tubers may be almost entirely white. Most have stems that are green, becoming red at the base. White flesh with a red center. This variety seems to have thicker stolons and bulkier tubers than many varieties, a trait that it shares with Amarillo and White.
An early sprouting and vigorous variety.
Hopin is the most widely available variety among suppliers in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking to get started with oca in a similar climate, it is a good choice. It forms fewer tubers than Sunset, but they tend to be larger.
Hopin seems to produce more fasciated stems than other varieties – as many as 1 in every 15 plants.
A somewhat acidic variety. After a few days of exposure to sunlight, it sweetens considerably.
Longer than average dormancy.
Oca is sensitive to frost which is why it is recommended to grow in regions with mild winters or more temperate zone (USDA Zone 7-9).
Growing Oca in areas colder than USDA Zone 8 is possible, however the tubers will need to be harvested and stored in cold storage to be planted again for next season.