Mashua – Black
€7.95
Description
Mashua is definitely the easiest of the Inca tubers and also the prettiest plant. It is related to the common garden nasturtium. It produces a very high yield of tubers. You’ll get 5 tubers. On arrival, store the tubers in a pot of damp sand in a cold but frost free shed. Tubers can be planted (just like potatoes) in April and harvested only a couple of weeks after the frost has killed off the leaves.
5 Tubers
Mashua
Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) is closely related to the common garden nasturtium with the added benefit of producing edible tubers. This vegetable originates from the Andes mountains and is one of the “Lost Crops of the Incas”. While the potato (from the same area) has become a popular crop throughout the world, mashua is only a minor crop.
However, mashua is far easier to grow than potato – it grows in soil that is too poor or too wet for the potato, making it an ideal crop for Ireland.
Not only does it grow well and healthy with no pests or diseases affecting it; it also makes a great plant for intercropping and planting under fruit trees as a pest repellent. Apparently it repels insect pests and nematodes so could be an ideal intercrop for potatoes (planted around the edges).
For many years I grew this vegetable as an ornamental plant (with beautiful orange tubular shaped edible flowers late in the year) until I was given a delicious recipe – mashua croguettes.
It’s a vigorous plant and can be trained on any pea support or fences or even left trailing on the ground.
You simply plant the tubers in April directly into the ground (as with potatoes) and after that there is very little maintenance required. Harvest takes place after the frost has killed off the leaves. Each plant can produce 20-30 new tubers. The tubers have a very spicy peppery taste which can also be eaten raw, but due to their strong taste, only in small quantities – possibly grated into a salad.
