Oxalis tuberosa

Description

Tubers - raw or cooked. When first harvested, they have a sour lemon taste. However, if they lie in the sun for a while, they become sweet. Some varieties are so sweet that they are compared to dried figs and sold as fruit in local markets in South America. The cooked roots are delicious, both in their sweet and sour state. They can be prepared in similar ways to potatoes, such as boiling or baking. The tubers are usually slightly smaller than potatoes, with larger specimens reaching a length of 8 cm or more. Due to their slightly waxy skin, they are easy to clean. They consist of about 70-80% moisture, 11-22% carbohydrates, 1% fat, 1% fiber, and 1% ash. The carbohydrates are sugars and easily digestible. Sour varieties contain a lot of oxalic acid (up to 500 ppm), but sweet variants contain much less oxalic acid than potatoes. Both the young leaves and flowers can be eaten, both raw and cooked, but they are of lesser quality. Use them in moderation and read the notes at the top of the page.

Guilds