What is Maca Root?

Maca root is the root of the Maca plant which grows at high altitudes in the Andes Mountains. This vegetable has been used in Peru for the last 3000 years. Maca belongs to the radish family and smells like butterscotch. People have been using Maca mainly for medicine.

Maca root is a starch so like other starches maca has carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fiber. It is rich in plant sterols and it’s a great source of iron, magnesium, selenium, and calcium.

When it is used as a food it is prepared baked or roasted, it can be prepared as soup and made into a drink called maca chicha.