The Peruvian Potato

This is a edited version of a class essay I submitted at Le Cordon Bleu, Lima for my diploma in Peruvian gastronomy. The paper focused on – 1. the production and types of native potatoes in Huancavelica, Junin and La Libertad, the three of which combined have about 900 varieties of native potatoes. 2. the resurgence of natives potatoes in Peru due to better production, supply chain, products, and the gastronomic boom.

The Potato (Solanum tuberosum), a perennial plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, native to the Americas; was first domesticated about 8000 years ago in the Andes Mountain regions of South America – mostly in Peru and north-west Bolivia. Studies and evidence indicate that the first potato cultivation happened around Lake Titicaca, and the first domestication of potatoes was done by women. The Spanish word “papa” originates from the Quechua language. The Spanish introduced potatoes to Europe in the mid-16th century, and today they are one of the biggest staple foods for millions of people. Globally, potatoes are the third or fourth most important food crop after rice, wheat and maize.  

In Peru, more than 3000 varieties of native potatoes exist; mostly in the Andes, in many sizes, shapes and colors. Farmers in Peru’s Andean highlands grow mostly ancient varieties for their own consumption and sometimes to sell in the local market – hence it is a key component in the livelihood systems of small-scale farmers, contributing to food security as a direct food source and a cash crop. In the Andean region, potatoes generate more employment per hectare than any other food crop. 

Peru is the largest producer of potatoes in Latin America and the twelfth in the world. About 730,000 families in Peru depend on the cultivation of the crop. In Peru, native potatoes are distributed in 19 regions, above 3000 meters to 4,200 meters altitude. Some of the major regions are Puno, Arequipa Ancash, Huanuco, La Libertad, Cusco, Ica, Cajamarca, Junin, Apurimac and Huancavelica. Junin, Apurimac and Huancavelica reportedly have the largest native potatoes. Of the 1834 districts in Peru, 1,373 produce potatoes. 

Some of the potatoes available in Lima markets

Amarilla	Huamantanga	Huayro
Papa Negra	Peruanita	Rosada
	Yungay

In the highlands farmers follow a crop rotation scheme, where potatoes are grown every seven to eight years on the same land. In the intermediate years farmers grow nashua, oca, olluco, followed by wheat or barley and then the fallow period. 

Studies indicate that with the exception of Peru, potato production has generally slowed in the Andean region of South America. Improvement in road infrastructure, better trucking options, and spread of technology has made it easier for farmers to link directly with urban markets and reduced marketing costs. The image of the potato has changed from “poor mans’ food” to national treasure and pride for the Peruvians. Government-private initiatives have also contributed to increase in production, products, sales and prices. The study indicates that production of native potatoes grew from 841000 tonnes in the early 2000s to 1117000 tonnes by the end of the decade. In the same duration the harvest area and cost per kilo of potato also went up.

In La Libertad province, farmers plant more than 25,000 hectares of potatoes per year, amounting to more than 6% of the total crop in the Peruvian Andes. One of the hallmarks of potato cultivation in La Libertad is that there is no freeze-drying of potatoes like in the southern Andes regions of Peru. Junin province, with cultivation area of 18,000 hectares produces about 9% of the total crop in Peru. In Huancavelica province about 27% of the total agricultural surface is used to grow potatoes, contributing to about 6% of the national production. 

The farming and conservation of native and ancestral varieties in Peru is predominantly done by farmers and communities in small towns and villages. Some of them known as the “Papa Arariwa” or the guardians of the potato are descendants of the pre-Incan cultures, and who have conserved and preserved the potato for millenia. 

Traditionally Peruvian farmers cultivate potatoes to provide food for their families and also to sell. Compared to the commercial varieties, native potatoes are predominately used for consumption and seed. The sale of native potatoes grew from 20% to 28%, an increase of 40%.

Composition

The potato, about 80% water, is a large source of carbohydrates, and also has potassium, phosphorus, iron, protein, and vitamins. An average potato contains more Vitamin C than an orange, and also has niacin, iodine, folic acid, copper and magnesium. The skin contains about half of the potato’s dietary fiber and most of the nutrients are in the potato itself. The main sugars in a potato are sucrose, glucose and fructose. After a potato is cooked, vitamins (B and C) are reduced but the mineral, proteins and fiber are retained. Carotenoids and anthocyanins get released after cooking and hence show a higher percentage. 

In Peruvian native potatoes, potassium is the most abundant element, followed by iron. A study of the biodiversity of six varieties of native pigmented Andean potatoes showed that the Andean genotypes have the highest biodiversity in tuber shape, flesh, skin color, texture and flavor. 

Compared to the commercial potatoes (white and yellow) the Andean red and purples potatoes have higher amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds – The red potatoes contained predominantly pelargonidin derivatives and the purple potatoes had petunidin as a major anthocyanidin. They also have a higher percentage of micronutrients  – zinc and ferrous. 

The nutritional composition of potatoes can be affected by various factors – environment, practices, maturity at harvest, processing, storage and transport. 

Figure 2: Nutritional composition of potatoes  Source: The Potato Crop: Its Agricultural Nutritional and Social Contribution to Humankind) © Hugo Campos and Oscar Ortiz, International Potato Center, Lima, Peru

Varieties

The department of Huancavelica arguably has one of the largest concentration of native potatoes, about 500 to 600 varieties. In Chugay, La Libertad there are about 150 ancestral potato varieties, which are not commercially available but used by natives in their cuisine.

In Junin 70% of the native potatoes were commercial varieties of puka huayro, huayro macho, peruanita, amarilla and camotillo. 30% of cultivation was for non-commercial varieties which were used for local consumption. Cultivation of the bitter potato variety has been declining because of the decrease in the production and use of chuno.

About 110 varieties of native potatoes have been identified in the districts of Huayana and Pomacocha in the Department of Apurimac, where for centuries potatoes have been cultivated at heights between 3000 to 4500 meter above mean sea level.  

Seasonality

In the Peruvian Andes, generally there are two seasons for potato cultivation – short and long season. The small season is from May to July, and the varieties used are the early sprouting ones. These potatoes are harvested between December and March. The big season is from September to November, and the harvest of the big season is from April to June. 

Preparations

Potatoes are an important staple food of Peru. It is estimated that Peruvians on an average consume 253 g of potatoes daily, and those living in the mountains consume about 421 g daily. The study indicated that the highest consumed potato is Papa Blanca, followed by Amarilla, and the native potatoes. A 2015 study indicated that consumption of potatoes in Peru has grown significantly, to about 85 kg/person. 

Potatoes are kept in dark and dry conditions, and in the right conditions potatoes can be kept for 10 to 12 weeks. Refrigeration, plastic bags and sunlight contribute to softening, sprouting and spoiling. New potatoes and small-thin skinned potatoes should be used within a few days of harvest. In Chugay potatoes are sometimes stored in attics, specifically designed for the purpose; in enclosures in the ground or on platforms covered with straw. Farmers sometimes use the herb Muna to keep away moths. 

Traditionally In Peru the potato is boiled, baked, roasted, fried, fermented and dried, of which boiling is the most common method of cooking. Other forms of processes for long conservation of potato include fermentation to form tocosh, freeze-drying to form chuno, and the drying to form papa seca. In its fresh form the potatoes are used in soups, stews, purees, chichas,  and to make desserts..  

One of the most emblematic preparations of potatoes in Peru is the Pachamanca method of cooking, where meat, potatoes and other tubers are cooked over hot rocks in a hole dug in the ground and covered with branches of marmaquilla or chincho. 

The recognition of Peruvian cuisine and the emergence of Peru as an important global culinary destination has helped the demand of natives potatoes. Native potatoes are much sought for chips, gourmet dishes and making liquors. Great concern about food quality and safety and the push for healthier living in urban areas has also helped the growth of native potatoes, because of the presence of more vitamins and antioxidants in native potatoes. Technology has allowed the the product development of native potatoes, for example freeze-dried native potatoes and an instant “Andean mashed potato.” In the Huancavelica region, the farmer organization AGROPIA with the support of other organizations was able to introduce blue and red potato chips into Europe. This helped to rejuvenate the cultivation of native potatoes in the region, which in turn helped to fight poverty. In Junin and Huancavelica a private company exports coordinates with 25 farmers associations and helps export products from native potatoes into the United States and Europe. 

The emergence of world-class restaurants in Peru has also helped to highlight native potatoes to the global market. Restaurants like Central and MIL offer a gourmet culinary journey of Peru’s products which has helped to put the native potato on the global tourism map. 

With proper financial and technological support from governments and private sector, the small communities in Peru’s Andean region will be able to develop, conserve and revitalize the production of native potatoes. Modern technology and social media has helped the world have a better knowledge of Peru’s gift to the world and the humble potato has the opportunity to stand high. 

Some of the recipes (Peruvian and Indian) I made with Peruvian potatoes

Home Fries – Papa Peruanita, sage and rocoto powder

Causa – Papa Amarilla, shrimp with celery, aji limo and mayonnaise, avocado

Potato curry – Papa Nativa, coconut milk, aji charapita, and spices

Bombay Vada Pav Sandwich- Fritters with Papa Blanca, spiced with onion, ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro and chickpea batter. Served on Pan Chancay with dry chutney of coconut, peanuts and aji panca powder

South Indian chicken roast – Chicken, Papa Huayro, tomato and onion sauce, spices and fenugreek leaves

Bibliography

Peru.Info. 
Catalogo de Variedades de Papa Nativa de Chugay, La Libertad, Peru
Alimentos Nativos del Peru al mundo
The Produce Bible 
A Study on the Biodiversity of Pigmented Andean Potatoes: Nutritional Profile and Phenolic Composition
Understanding the role of potatoes in the Peruvian diet: An approach that combines food composition with household expenditure data
Source: The Potato Crop: Its Agricultural Nutritional and Social Contribution to Humankind
Potato production and its constraints in Peru
Potato Composition and Ingredient Functionality
Catalogo de variedades de papa nativa del sureste del departamento de Junin – Peru. 
La Papa Nativa en Apurimac: Identificacion participativa de variedades en los distritos de Huayana y Pomacocha
Catalogo de variedades de papa nativa de Huancavelica – Peru
Peru’s native potato revolution, Douglas Horton and Katia Samanamud, CIP
Native Potatoes: From forgotten crop to culinary boom and market innovation, André Devaux, Guy Hareau, Miguel Ordinola, Jorge Andrade-Piedra, and Graham Thiele