Botanical atlas

Ulluco

Ullucus tuberosus

Long before the potato became a global crop, Andean farmers were already cultivating ulluco alongside it, tucked into terraced gardens at altitudes where few other food plants thrive. For thousands of years it has been a quiet backbone of highland diets in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, boiled into stews, roasted whole, or added to soups for its faintly earthy, slightly nutty flavor and pleasantly waxy bite. Its jewel toned tubers, ranging from buttery yellow to shocking pink and deep purple, made it a familiar and cherished sight in highland markets long before botanists ever gave it a Latin name. The young leaves, too, have their own quiet tradition, wilted into pots the way spinach or chard might be used elsewhere.

In tradition.

Long before the potato became a global crop, Andean farmers were already cultivating ulluco alongside it, tucked into terraced gardens at altitudes where few other food plants thrive. For thousands of years it has been a quiet backbone of highland diets in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, boiled into stews, roasted whole, or added to soups for its faintly earthy, slightly nutty flavor and pleasantly waxy bite. Its jewel toned tubers, ranging from buttery yellow to shocking pink and deep purple, made it a familiar and cherished sight in highland markets long before botanists ever gave it a Latin name. The young leaves, too, have their own quiet tradition, wilted into pots the way spinach or chard might be used elsewhere.

Safety.

Ulluco is a root vegetable that is safe to eat cooked; the leaves contain oxalates, so people managing kidney stones may want to eat them in moderation.