Mauka facts for kids

Mirabilis expansa, also known as mauka or chago, is a special flowering plant. People grow it for its tasty roots in the Andes mountains. It grows in cold, windy places, high up between 2,200 and 3,500 meters (about 7,200 to 11,500 feet). Even when it gets frosty, the plant's top part might die, but its root stays strong and healthy underground.

These roots can grow very big, sometimes as long as a person's forearm! If you let them grow for two years, you can get a huge harvest, up to 50,000 kilograms (about 110,000 pounds) from just one hectare of land. Mauka is a unique crop because it can grow well where other root vegetables might struggle. The Andes region is famous for having many different kinds of crops.

History of Mauka

Mirabilis expansa was a very important plant for the ancient Inca Empire. For a long time, people thought this crop was lost! The scientific name for Mauka is Mirabilis expansa.

Mauka has different common names depending on where you are:

• In Bolivia, it's often called Mauka.
• In Peru, it has many names like chago, arricon, yuca, inca, cuship, and chaco.
• In Ecuador, it's known as miso, taso, or pega pega.

Farmers in Bolivia first described growing mauka in the 1960s. About 15 years later, it was also found in Ecuador and Peru. Today, most mauka is grown in these two countries. Some people believe that mauka survived in different places because the Incas used to move important crops to communities all across their empire.

What Mauka Looks Like

Mirabilis expansa belongs to the dicot Nyctaginaceae family. It can grow up to one meter (about 3 feet) tall. This plant is also quite good at resisting diseases. Mauka produces an edible root that stores food, and its top part has many edible leaves. Mauka is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years, and its edible part swells up from the base.

The stems of Mauka are round and have sections called nodes. Pairs of leaves grow from these nodes. The plant's flowers grow on long, thin branches, about three to six centimeters (1 to 2 inches) long. These branches are covered with tiny hairs that can trap small insects. The color of the flowers changes depending on where the plant grows. In Bolivia, the flowers are purple. In Ecuador, they can be purple and white.

The underground stems are a salmon-pink color and are smooth and fleshy. They can be up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) long and 5 centimeters (2 inches) wide. Fully grown mauka roots can become as long and wide as a human forearm!

Growing and Harvesting Mauka

Mauka can grow from seeds, but farmers usually plant it using parts of the plant itself. They can use basal shoots (new shoots from the base), pieces of stem, or suckers (new plants growing from the roots). This way of growing is called vegetative propagation. If you plant a basal shoot, you can usually harvest the mauka after one year. If you use a sucker, it might take a bit longer before you can harvest.

Farmers plant mauka in holes in long, narrow rows, usually one meter by one meter (about 3 feet by 3 feet). They need to carefully cover the plants with soil. In Ecuador, farmers often grow mauka together with maize (corn). This helps the soil structure and is good for the roots to grow strong.

Mauka needs at least 500 millimeters (about 20 inches) of rain each year. It grows best with 600 to 800 millimeters (about 24 to 31 inches) of rain. The soil needs to have a pH level of at least 5.5, but it grows best when the pH is between 6 and 7.

Farmers usually harvest mauka every year. However, you can leave the plant in the ground for a longer time. After two years of growing, the amount of mauka you can harvest increases a lot! A great thing about mauka for farmers is that it's cheap to grow because you can use parts of the plant instead of buying seeds. Once it's planted, it doesn't need much work. The main challenge is that it takes a long time to grow, especially if farmers want the biggest harvest after two years.

Mauka's Stress Tolerance

Mauka is a very tough plant that can handle difficult conditions. It can grow in cold, windy places high up in the mountains, even above 2,700 meters (about 8,850 feet). It can survive constant winds and cold temperatures, which would be very hard for many other plants. This makes mauka a great crop for mountain regions with harsh weather.

Growing Plants Together (Intercropping)

Growing mauka together with maize (corn) is a helpful way to protect it from slugs and certain insects that dig into the roots. This method, called Intercropping, makes the soil stronger, which helps the mauka roots grow better. Intercropping also brings more helpful insects that eat pests, which helps keep the plants healthy. Many farmers already grow maize, so this is an easy solution for them. However, some farmers might not be able to afford to grow two crops at once.

How People Use Mauka

Mirabilis expansa gives us lots of edible stems and storage roots. The roots of some mauka plants can make your mouth feel irritated if you eat them raw. To fix this, people usually dry them in the sun and then boil them. After being in the sun, the bitter taste goes away and the roots become sweet! Mauka from Bolivia is more likely to be irritating than mauka from Ecuador.

The leaves of mauka are also edible! You can use them in salads or in chili sauces. The roots can be cooked in the same way as sweet potato or cassava, which are similar root crops. They can be added to soups and stews. One traditional way to prepare mauka is to mix the boiled roots with honey and toasted grain.

In Ecuador, people prepare mauka in two ways: savory and sweet. For a sweet mauka, they bury the plant in the soil for a week with layers of barley straw. This helps to make the sugars more concentrated. The water left over from cooking M. expansa can also be a sweet drink. In Bolivia, the stems and roots are left to ripen, then cut and cooked. The cooking water is served as a soft drink.

Besides being food for people, M. expansa can also be used to feed farm animals. This means the whole plant can be used, which is very efficient!

Mauka's Nutrition

Mauka roots are very rich in carbohydrates, making up about 87% of their dry weight. Mauka from Bolivia and Peru has a good amount of protein, around 5% to 7%. The underground parts of the plant also contain a lot of calcium (2760 mg) and phosphorus (590 mg). The leaves are also nutritious, with about 17% protein.

While mauka is low in sodium and iron, its high levels of protein, calcium, and phosphorus make it a very valuable food. These nutrients are especially helpful for people who might not have access to many different foods. Remember, if the root is not ripened properly, it might have a bitter taste that can affect your tongue and lips.

In Spanish: Mirabilis expansa para niños