Oca ✦
Oca du Pérou
| Latin name | Oxalis tuberosa |
|---|---|
| Family | Vegetables |
| Origin | Andean highlands |
| Season (France) | November – January |
| Flavour | Sour · Sweet · Earthy |
| Typical price (France) | 10–20 €/kg |
What it is
Oca is the second most cultivated tuber of the Andes after the potato, and reached New Zealand around 1860, where it is still sold as yam although it is no relation. Its oxalic tartness sits in the skin, and a week on a sunny windowsill breaks that acid down until the tuber turns frankly sweet.
In the kitchen
Do not peel and do not boil: roast whole at 200 °C for 25 minutes so the skin blisters and the inside stays lemony. Water leaches out the acid and the flavour together.
Goes with
Butter Lime Cumin Chili pepper Pork Quinoa Chives
Same species
Also used with
In season alongside
Medlar Arbutus berry Baek-kimchi Beetroot Blood orange Brussels sprout
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