https://www.gardenology.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=OcaOca - Revision history2026-04-10T09:21:32ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.0https://www.gardenology.org/w/index.php?title=Oca&diff=10800&oldid=prevMediaWiki default at 17:11, 29 October 20072007-10-29T17:11:26Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{otheruses}}<br />
{{Taxobox<br />
| color = lightgreen<br />
| name = Oca<br />
| image = Oxallis_tuberosa.jpg<br />
| image_width = 256px<br />
| image_caption = Raw oca tubers for sale, southern Peru<br />
| regnum = [[Plantae]]<br />
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]<br />
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]<br />
| ordo = [[Geraniales]]<br />
| familia = [[Oxalidaceae]]<br />
| genus = ''[[Oxalis]]''<br />
| species = '''''O. tuberosa'''''<br />
| binomial = ''Oxalis tuberosa''<br />
| binomial_authority = [[Francesco Savignone|Savign.]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''oca''' or '''oka''' is a [[perennial plant]] grown in the central and southern [[Andes]] for its [[starch]]y edible [[tuber]], used as a [[root vegetable]]. Its leaves and young shoots can be eaten as a green vegetable as well. Introduced to [[Europe]] in 1830 as a competitor to the potato and to [[New Zealand]] as early as 1860, it has become popular in that country under the name '''New Zealand yam''' and is now a common table vegetable. <br />
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The oca is one of the important staple crops of the [[Andes Mountains|Andean highlands]], second only to the [[potato]] due to its easy propagation, and tolerance for poor soil, high altitude and harsh climates.<br />
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The flavor is slightly tangy, and texture ranges from crunchy (like a [[carrot]]) when undercooked, to starchy or mealy when fully cooked. Though the original Andean varieties are widely variable in color from purple to yellow, the standard NZ variety is a fleshy pink. <br />
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Ocas need a long [[growing season]], and are [[day length dependent]], forming tubers when the day length shortens in the fall. In areas with harsh winter climates, the cold weather that accompanies shorter days may kill the plant before tubers have a chance to form. Likewise in tropical areas where the days are uniformly longer, the oca will not set a crop successfully, since the days are never short enough.<br />
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Ocas are fairly high in [[oxalates]], concentrated in the skin, and traditional Andean preparation methods were geared towards reducing the oxalate level of the harvested vegetable. This is done by exposure to sunlight which increases the [[glucose]] content and sweet taste of the oca. Recent oca [[cultivars]] have a lower oxalate content, and have also been selected for more flexibility in day lengths. <br />
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The oca can be prepared like most root vegetables by being boiled, baked or fried. In the [[Andes]] it is part of stews and soups; served like potatoes or can be served as a sweet. Oca is eaten raw in [[Mexico]] with salt, lemon and hot pepper.<br />
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==References==<br />
*Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999). "Oca", p. 547 ISBN 0-19-211579-0<br />
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==Trivia==<br />
Many New Zealanders remain unaware of the origins of this vegetable, or the use of the word "[[yam (vegetable)|yam]]" in other parts of the world. The situation is confused further by New Zealanders' use of a [[Māori language|Māori]] word, "Kūmara", to refer to the local [[sweet potato]] - a vegetable which in turn is known as "yam" in much of North America.<br />
{{commons|Oxalis tuberosa}}<br />
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[[Category:Geraniales]]<br />
[[Category:Root vegetables]]<br />
[[Category:Oxalidaceae]]<br />
[[Category:Underutilized crops]]</div>MediaWiki default