Mashua

Tropaeolum tuberosum · Root vegetable

40 pairings

Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) is a stem tuber from a climbing relative of the garden nasturtium, the fourth of the great Andean tuber crops grown alongside the potato, oca and ulluco. Its conical, deeply ridged tubers shade from waxy white and yellow through orange to red and purple, and carry a sharp, peppery, mustard-like bite that mellows with sun-curing and cooking.

Picking a good onedrag

Firm, just liftedSprouted and shrivelled

Sunned and firmThe eating state — boiled, roasted or baked it comes out sweeter and only gently pepperyBuy it

SkinMatte but tight, ridges still full

The cone in handFirm, gives only at the thin tail

EyesDimpled, a pale nub at one or two

Smell at a scratchPeppery but quieter, cold earth under it

What to look for, from firm, just lifted to sprouted and shrivelled.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 3× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95%

Thin glossy skin, no cork layer: once the few days of sun are done it dries out fast in open air, so bed it in damp sand or bag it loosely.

Airflow

Ventilated, diffuse light

A dim, airy store under 12 °C suits it: diffuse light rather than pitch dark, and moving air rather than a sealed bag, where the deep eyes rot first.

Preparing