Ullucus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ullucus
Scientific classification
Genus:	Ullucus
Species:	tuberosus
Synonyms
Basella tuberosa Kunth Chenopodium tuberosum Ruiz Gandola tuberosa Moq. Melloca peruviana Moq. Melloca tuberosa (Kunth) Lindl. Ullucus aborigineus Brücher Ullucus kunthii Moq. Ullucus tuberosus subsp. aborigineus (Brücher) Sperling Ullucus tuberosus f. albiflorus Kuntze Ullucus tuberosus f. rubriflorus Kuntze

Papalisa (Ullucus tuberosa) in a market stall in Calacala, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Ulluco tubers in New Zealand

Ullucus is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Basellaceae plant family. There is one main species called Ullucus tuberosus. This plant is mostly grown for its edible underground parts, called tubers. Its leaves can also be eaten, much like spinach.

The name ulluco comes from the Quechua word ulluku. But this plant has many other names depending on the region. For example, it's called illaco in Aymara and melloco in Ecuador. In Colombia, it's known as chungua or ruba. People in Bolivia and Peru call it olluco or papa lisa. In Argentina, it's sometimes called ulluma.

Ulluco is a very important root crop in the Andean mountains of South America. It is the second most grown root crop after the potato. The main part people eat is the tuber. But the leaves are also used and taste like spinach. Ulluco is full of good things like protein, calcium, and carotene. The Incas used ulluco long before Europeans arrived in South America.

This plant is a herb that can grow up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall. It forms starchy tubers underground. These tubers are usually smooth and can be round or long. They are often similar in size to a potato. However, some can grow up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. Ulluco tubers are very colorful. They have bright, waxy skins in shades of yellow, pink, and purple. This makes them one of the most eye-catching foods in Andean markets.

There is a wild type of Ullucus tuberosus called Ullucus tuberosus subsp. aborigineus. The domesticated types usually grow upright. The wild type often grows like a trailing vine.

What Ulluco is Called

Here are some of the different names for ulluco:

• Aymara: ulluma, ullucu.
• Quechua: ulluku, milluku.
• Spanish: olluco, papalisa, ulluco, melloco.
• English: Ulluco

Where Ulluco Comes From

Ulluco was likely first grown by people over 4,000 years ago. Scientists have found parts of the ulluco plant at old archaeological sites in Peru. This suggests that people started growing it in the central Andes of Peru and Bolivia. Pictures of ulluco have been found on old wooden cups, pottery, and sculptures. These show that ulluco was important as far back as 2250 BC.

After the Spanish arrived in 1531, new European vegetables became popular. Ulluco became less important. But it is still a main food crop in the Andean regions today. Potatoes are now grown in over 130 countries. However, ulluco is still mostly unknown outside of South America. People tried to grow it in Europe in the 1850s. This was after potato diseases caused problems. But it did not work well on a large scale because ulluco needs special growing conditions.

Why Ulluco is Important and How It's Used

Farmers who grow food just for their families, called subsistence farmers, grow ullucos. They grow them in high mountain areas, usually between 2,500 and 4,000 meters (about 8,200 to 13,100 feet) above sea level.

Ulluco tubers are often used in traditional indigenous soups and stews. Today, people also use them in salads, along with the ulluco leaves. These tubers have been a food source for Andean people for a very long time. They still provide important protein, carbohydrate, and vitamin C for people living in the high mountains of South America.

One great thing about ulluco is its crisp texture. Like the jicama, it stays crunchy even after it's cooked. Ulluco has a lot of water, so it's not good for frying or baking. But you can cook it in many other ways, just like a potato. It can also be pickled and added to spicy sauces. People often cut them into thin strips.

To make ulluco last longer, the Quechua and Aymara people in Peru make a product called chuño or lingli. This is made by freezing and drying the tubers outdoors. The dried product is then often ground into a fine flour. This flour is added to cooked foods. In Bolivia, ullucos are very colorful and decorative. But they are usually eaten because of their sweet and unique flavor. When boiled, they stay moist. Their texture and flavor are very similar to boiled peanuts without the skin. But unlike peanuts, ullucos stay firm and almost crunchy.

Ullucos are a traditional food for Catholic Holy Week celebrations in Bolivia.

How Ulluco is Grown

Climate Needs for Ulluco

Ulluco is usually grown by planting small whole tubers. But you can also easily grow them from stem or tuber cuttings. They like cooler weather and grow best in full sun when summer temperatures are not too hot. They can also grow in hotter places if they are in the shade. Ullucos are "short day plants." This means they need about 11 to 13.5 hours of daylight to grow tubers. However, different types of ulluco have different sun needs. As the days get shorter, special stems called stolons grow from the plant. These stolons then develop into the tubers.

Farming Practices

Ulluco grows in high mountain areas, even up to 4,200 meters (about 13,800 feet) above sea level. Local Andean farmers often grow many different kinds of ulluco together in the same fields. They also plant ulluco with two other Andean root crops: oca and mashua. These different tubers are planted together in small fields. They are harvested after about eight months. After harvest, the different types of tubers are separated.

Harvesting and Storing Ulluco

Ulluco tubers need to be dug up by hand. This is because their skin is sensitive and can get easily damaged. Since their appearance is important, avoiding scratches is key. In traditional farming, farmers can get about five to nine tons of ulluco per hectare (about 2.5 acres). But in modern farming systems, yields can reach up to 40 tons per hectare. These tubers can be stored all year round in the Andes. It's best to store them in the dark. If they are exposed to the sun, their bright colors can fade.

Farmers usually save some of the smaller tubers from the harvest. They use these as "seed tubers" to plant the next year. Most of the rest of the harvest is eaten. However, more and more ulluco is being sold at markets as a cash crop.

Diseases and Pests of Ulluco

Andean farmers like ulluco because it usually doesn't have many pest or disease problems. However, it can carry viruses like Tymovirus. This virus is similar to the Andean potato latent virus. It could potentially harm potato crops and other plants in the Solanaceae family (like tomatoes and peppers). Other plants like spinach and quinoa might also be at risk. These viruses are not harmful to people or animals. Ulluco can be brought into the EU with a special health certificate, but caution is still advised.

Other viruses that can affect ulluco include Arracacha virus A, Papaya mosaic virus, Potato leaf roll virus, and Ulluco mosaic virus. Most older types of ulluco have diseases. But if you grow them from seeds, you can avoid these problems. Growing ulluco from healthy seed tubers can increase the harvest by 30-50%. Scientists are also developing new types of ulluco that are free of viruses. These new types also show higher yields.

Ulluco can get a soil disease called Verticillium wilt in warm, low-altitude areas. There are treatments for this. Organic farmers can plant ulluco in different fields every 2-3 years to avoid the disease. Ulluco can also be affected by Rhizoctonia solani, but less so than potatoes. This can reduce the amount and quality of the harvest. Slugs and snails are common pests. They usually only cause minor damage to the outside of the ulluco.

Ulluco Breeding

Ulluco has a hard time producing seeds. For a long time, people thought it was infertile. But in the 1980s, researchers in Finland managed to produce a seed. This low fertility makes it hard to breed new types of ulluco. This problem might be because ulluco has been grown for so long by planting tubers instead of seeds.

However, ulluco has a lot of genetic variety. This includes differences in color, protein content, and how much it yields. This variety might come from natural changes in the plant or from rare sexual reproduction. Ulluco is mostly grown from seed tubers. But it can also be grown from seeds and stem cuttings. In New Zealand, scientists have tried using radiation to create new varieties.

Future Research for Ulluco

Ulluco could potentially produce much larger harvests and play a bigger role in the world's food system. More research into virus-free types, how daylight affects it, and types that produce seeds could help this happen faster. This research could also allow people to control the colors and other features of ulluco. It could also help ulluco adapt to be grown in more places around the world.

Types of Ulluco (Cultivars)

Most ulluco plants have two sets of chromosomes (2n=24). Plants with three (2n=36) or four (2n=48) sets of chromosomes are rare. Scientists have looked at 187 different types of ulluco. They found 108 different groups based on how the plants look. Since ulluco mostly reproduces by planting tubers, and growing from seeds is rare, this shows that ulluco has a lot of different forms.

Farmers choose which types of ulluco to grow based on several things. These include how sweet they are, how long they can be stored, how much mucilage they contain, and how much they yield. The color of the skin is also very important. Red or purple tubers are more resistant to frost. Yellow tubers are the most popular in markets in Ecuador. The preferred color of ulluco can be different in various countries and regions. In New Zealand, people preferred red skin over plain yellow or mixed colors. Unusual colors or spots might be why some multicolored ullucos are not as popular with consumers in New Zealand.

Ulluco Nutrition

Fresh ulluco tubers are a good source of carbohydrates. They are similar to the potato, which is one of the most common root crops in the world. Ulluco also has a lot of fiber, a fair amount of protein, and very little fat (less than 2%).

When it comes to vitamins, ulluco tubers have a good amount of vitamin C (11.5 mg per 100 grams). This is more than carrots (6 mg/100 g) and celery. But it's less than yams (17.1 mg/100 g) or potatoes (19.7 mg/100 g). The amount of nutrients can vary between different types of ulluco.

Not much is known about the nutrition in ulluco leaves. But they are nutritious and contain 12% protein when dried.

Carbohydrates in Ulluco

The carbohydrates in ulluco are mostly starch. But there is also a good amount of mucilage. Mucilage is a complex type of soluble fiber. The amount of mucilage varies in different tubers. A lot of mucilage makes raw tubers feel gummy. You can reduce the mucilage by soaking the tubers in water or cutting them very finely. Cooking also reduces or removes this gummy texture. In South America, ulluco tubers with a lot of mucilage are popular for soups because they make the soup thicker.

Proteins in Ulluco

The proteins in ulluco tubers provide amino acids. They contain all the important amino acids that humans need in their diet. These include lysine, threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and methionine.

Antioxidants in Ulluco

Ulluco contains special pigments called betalains. These pigments give ulluco its color. Red or purple tubers have a lot of betacyanins, which are a type of betalain. Yellow or orange tubers have a lot of betaxanthins, another type of betalain.

Compared to other Andean root crops like native potatoes, oca, and mashua, ulluco has a lower ability to fight harmful substances in the body (antioxidant capacity). This is partly because ulluco does not have flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. These pigments are much better sources of antioxidant compounds than betalains. However, betalains are very stable. This makes ulluco a promising plant for making natural colorings for food and other products.

Ulluco Compared to Other Root Foods

This table shows how ulluco's nutrients compare to other major root crops. These include potato, sweet potato, cassava, and yam. These four crops are among the most important food crops in the world. Together, they produce about 736.747 million tons each year (FAO, 2008).

Ulluco's nutritional value is good, especially for the areas where it is grown. The nutrient amounts in the table are for raw crops. However, these foods are usually cooked before eating. The nutrients might change a bit after cooking. The values for ulluco are given as a range. This is based on studies of ulluco grown in South America.

See also

In Spanish: Ullucus tuberosus para niños