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Inca Cuisine
Inca cuisine originated in pre-Columbian times within the Inca civilization from the 13th to the 16th century. The Inca civilization stretched across many regions on the western coast of South America (specifically Peru), and so there was a great diversity of unique plants and animals used for food. The most important plant staples involved various tubers, roots, and grains; and the most common sources of meat were guinea pigs, llamas, fish, and other aquatic and terrestrial organisms (305-307). Cuisine was heavily influenced by the Inca's food storage system, social gatherings and celebrations, and social status (308-315). Foods There were also several types of edible clay, like ''pasa'', which was used as sauce for potatoes and other tubers, and ''chaco,'' something used by the poor or religiously devout. As in the rest of Central and South America, chili peppers were an important and highly praised part of their diet. Vegetables and fruits The Inca realm stretched north–s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chenopodium Quinoa
Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are high in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins and dietary minerals especially potassium and magnesium in amounts greater than in many grains. Quinoa is not a grass but rather a pseudocereal botanically related to spinach and amaranth (''Amaranthus'' spp.), and originated in the Andean region of northwestern South America. It was first used to feed livestock 5,2007,000 years ago, and for human consumption 3,0004,000 years ago in the Lake Titicaca basin of Peru and Bolivia. The plant thrives at high elevations and produces seeds that are rich in protein. Almost all production in the Andean region is done by small farms and associations. Its cultivation has spread to more than 70 countries, including Kenya, India, the United States, and European countries. As a result of increased consump ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymnia Sonchifolia
''Polymnia'' is a genus of American plants in the sunflower family. It is the only genus in the tribe ''Polymnieae''. Several species are known by the common name leafcup. ; SpeciesFlann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist /ref> * '' Polymnia aspera'' (Mart.) Mart. ex DC. - Mexico * '' Polymnia canadensis'' [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yacón
The yacón (''Smallanthus sonchifolius'') is a species of daisy traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots. Their texture and flavour are very similar to jícama, mainly differing in that yacón has some slightly sweet, resinous, and floral (similar to violet) undertones to its flavour, probably due to the presence of inulin, which produces the sweet taste of the roots of elecampane, as well. Another name for yacón is Peruvian ground apple, possibly from the French name of potato, ''pomme de terre'' (ground apple). The tuber is composed mostly of water and various polysaccharides. Traditionally, yacón roots are grown by farmers at mid-elevations on the eastern slopes of the Andes descending toward the Amazon. It is grown occasionally along field borders where the juicy tubers provide a welcome source of refreshment during field work. Until as recently as the early 2000s, yacón was h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lepidium Meyenii
''Lepidium meyenii'', known as maca or Peruvian ginseng, is an edible herbaceous biennial plant of the family Brassicaceae that is native to South America in the high Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia. It was rediscovered for commercial purposes at the Meseta de Bombón plateau close to Lake Junin in the late 1980s.Hermann, M, Bernet T.The transition of maca from neglect to market prominence: Lessons for improving use strategies and market chains of minor crops." Agricultural Biodiversity and Livelihoods Discussion Papers 1. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy, 101 p., 2009. It is grown for its fleshy hypocotyl that is fused with a taproot, which is typically dried but may also be freshly cooked as a root vegetable. As a cash crop, it is primarily exported as a powder that may be raw or processed further as a gelatinized starch or as an extract. If dried, it may be processed into a flour for baking or as a dietary supplement. Its Spanish and Quechua names include ''maca-maca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as cannabis (drug), cannabis or cocaine, are classified into plant-based and non-plant-based substances. Synthetic aphrodisiacs include MDMA and methamphetamine. Aphrodisiacs can be classified by their type of effects (psychological or physiological). Aphrodisiacs that contain hallucinogenic properties, such as bufotenin, have psychological effects that can increase sexual desire and sexual pleasure. Aphrodisiacs that have smooth muscle relaxing properties, such as yohimbine, have physiological effects that can affect hormone concentrations and increase blood flow. Substances that have the opposite effects on libido are called anaphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiac effects can also be due to the Placebo, placebo effect. Both males and females can po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quechuan Languages
Quechua (, ), also called (, 'people's language') in Southern Quechua, is an indigenous language family that originated in central Peru and thereafter spread to other countries of the Andes. Derived from a common ancestral " Proto-Quechua" language, it is today the most widely spoken pre-Columbian language family of the Americas, with the number of speakers estimated at 8–10 million speakers in 2004,Adelaar 2004, pp. 167–168, 255. and just under 7 million from the most recent census data available up to 2011. Approximately 13.9% (3.7 million) of Peruvians speak a Quechua language. Although Quechua began expanding many centuries before the Incas, that previous expansion also meant that it was the primary language family within the Inca Empire. The Spanish also tolerated its use until the Peruvian struggle for independence in the 1780s. As a result, various Quechua languages are still widely spoken today, being co-official in many regions and the most spoken language in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tropaeolum Tuberosum
''Tropaeolum tuberosum'' (mashua, see below for other names) is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, grown in the Andes, particularly in Peru and Bolivia, and to a lesser extent in Ecuador as well as in some areas of Colombia, for its edible tubers, which are eaten cooked or roasted as a vegetable. It is a minor food source, especially for native Amerindian populations. Mashua is a herbaceous perennial climber growing to in height. It is related to garden nasturtiums, and is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental for its brightly coloured tubular flowers. The leaves are peltate, roundly five-lobed with a petiole that twines weakly but is not truly a tendril. The root is tuberous. Alternative names This plant is commonly called mashua in Peru and Ecuador, but other names include: In Boyacá, Colombia, it is also named nabu Agronomy The plant thrives even in marginal soils and competes well with weeds. It is well-adapted to high-altitude subsistence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Chestnut
Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants, both used in Chinese cuisine: * ''Eleocharis dulcis'', or Chinese water chestnut, is eaten for its crisp corm * Water caltrop, ''Trapa natans'', is eaten for its starchy seed See also * Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from Greater China, China, as well as from Overseas Chinese, Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine ... * Chinese chestnut * Chestnut (other) {{Plant common name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pachyrhizus Ahipa
''Pachyrhizus ahipa'', also called the ahipa or Andean yam bean, is a tuberous root-producing legume, which is distributed mainly in the Andean region.Sørensen, M., Gruneberg, W. J., Ørting, B., 1997. Ahipa (''Pachyrhizus ahipa'' (Wedd.) Parodi). In Andean roots and tubers: ahipa, arracacha, maca and yacon. Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops (M. Herman & J. Heller, eds.). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, p. 13-73. History Archaeological evidence suggests ''P. ahipa'' was widely distributed about 2000 years ago.Popenoe, H., King, S.R., Léon, J., Kalinkowski, L.S., Vietmeyer, N.D., Dafforn, M., 1989. Lost crops of the Incas. Little known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. National Academy Press, Washington, p. 37-46 The first mention of ahipa was in connection with the Indian cultures in the Andes, more precisely in the Salta and Jujuy provinces of Argentina.Ørting, B., Grüneberg, J., Søren ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2011. The onion's close relatives include garlic, scallion, leek, and chives. The genus contains several other species variously called onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion '' Allium fistulosum'', the tree onion ''Allium'' × ''proliferum'', and the Canada onion '' Allium canadense''. The name '' wild onion'' is applied to a number of ''Allium'' species, but ''A. cepa'' is exclusively known from cultivation. Its ancestral wild original form is not known, although escapes from cultivation have become established in some regions. The onion is most frequently a biennial or a perennial plant, but is usually treated as an annual and harvested in its first growing season. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
