Huayro Macho Potatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Huayro Macho potatoes are generally a larger varietal, averaging 8 to 14 centimeters in length and 4 to 5.5 centimeters in diameter, but they will vary in size and shape depending on growing conditions. The tubers have an elongated, cylindrical, to oblong shape with blunt, curved ends and are covered in superficial to shallow set eyes. These eyes may create slight indentations on the surface. Huayro Macho potatoes are often sold still covered in soil, giving them a dark brown, black, to grey coloring. Once cleaned, the skin typically showcases brown with red, rose, to red-pink hues. The skin is semi-thin, smooth, and taut. Underneath the surface, the flesh is dense, firm, and slippery when raw, softening to a grainy, semi-firm, tender, and floury texture when cooked. The flesh also showcases a cream-colored to golden-yellow coloring with maroon accents. The amount of maroon within the flesh varies per tuber. Huayro Macho potatoes are edible once cooked and have a mild, neutral, and earthy flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Huayro Macho potatoes are available year-round.
Current Facts
Huayro Macho potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are a Peruvian variety belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The tubers are a type of native potato, also known as papa nativa, and have been traditionally cultivated throughout high-elevation regions of the Andes Mountains in Peru. The variety’s name has a masculine descriptor of “macho,” translating from Spanish to mean “male,” a term used for the tuber due to its large size. Huayro Macho potato plants are productive, producing over twenty-five tubers per plant, and have been selected as a native variety for increased production as a commercial potato. In markets throughout Peru, Huayro Macho potatoes are versatile and used in historical recipes as well as modern preparations. The tubers are incorporated in a wide array of cooked recipes and are favored for their large size, uniform shape, earthy flavor, and floury consistency.
Nutritional Value
Huayro Macho potatoes have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Some Peruvian potato catalogs mention that the variety is a source of iron, a mineral known to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to strengthen the immune system. Potatoes, in general, are also a source of phosphorus to repair tissues, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, calcium to protect bones and teeth, and other nutrients, including magnesium, manganese, zinc, and folate. Huayro Macho potatoes have pigmented red-pink compounds in their flesh that contain antioxidants. Antioxidants are known for protecting the body against free radical damage and have the ability to reduce inflammation.
Applications
Huayro Macho potatoes have an earthy taste suited for cooked preparations. The variety is favored for its semi-firm, fluffy, and floury nature and is popularly baked, fried, or roasted. Huayro Macho potatoes are commercially processed into chips and fries as they do not absorb oil as much as other varieties. Roasted tubers are also served with various rocoto dips, salsas, or spreads as a simple dish, or they are added to stir-fries, soups, stews, and chowders. In Peru, Huayro Macho potatoes are commonly used in traditional Andean recipes, but they have also become a native tuber sold commercially for modern culinary preparations. The tubers are served with roasted meat, deep-fried to develop a crisp exterior, or cooked and mashed. Huayro Macho potatoes pair well with aji amarillo peppers, herbs including mint, cilantro, huacatay, and parsley, seafood such as fish, shrimp, scallops, and octopus, meats including pork, beef, poultry, and lamb, corn, tomatoes, squash, legumes, peas, and carrots. Whole, unwashed Huayro Macho potatoes will keep for several months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Huayro Macho potatoes are a favored variety used in the traditional cooking style known as hautia in the Andes Mountains. Hautia is a seasonal style often prepared from May through July in Peru, especially in Cusco on Cusco Day on June 24th, during the height of the potato harvest. The traditional Andean cooking method is a communal activity used to bring family and friends together and celebrate the harvest given from the Earth. Hautia is also one of the oldest cooking methods still used by communities in the Andes. It is important to note that hautia is distinct from pachamanca, another outdoor cooking method, and both styles use different heating methods using natural materials. Pachamanca uses an underground oven, while hautia is mostly above ground. Potatoes are a customary ingredient cooked in hautia, along with corn, beans, and meats. During the culinary process, an earthen oven is constructed in a field with pieces of adobe, known as k’urpas in Quechua, which is a dense, rock-like material made from clay, sand, and straw. The oven is filled with firewood, dried herbs, and branches and is heated for several hours to ensure the oven becomes very hot. After the adobe stones become blackened and discolored in the oven, the wood and fire are removed, the walls are partially caved in, and the ingredients are dropped inside the oven. The remaining stones are used to cover the food, and soil is placed on top of the rocks to keep the heat in for cooking. Once cooked, the ingredients are dug out of the pile and served hot on a blanket on the ground. Huayro Macho potatoes are a common variety that develops a pleasant texture in hautia, and the tubers are typically served with local cheeses, creams, or sauces.
Geography/History
Huayro Macho potatoes are native to South America and are descendants of wild varieties that grew naturally throughout the highlands of the Andes mountains. Much of the history of the variety is unknown, as little written records were left before the arrival of the Spanish, but it is believed that Huayro Macho potatoes are one of the traditional cultivars called native potatoes in Peruvian agriculture. Potatoes are thought to have been first domesticated over 10,000 years ago in the Andes mountains, and the oldest archeological findings were sourced from areas around Lake Titicaca. Over time, potatoes were selectively bred for improved flavor, texture, and cultivation characteristics, eventually becoming one of the most essential crops within the Andes. Huayro Macho potatoes are a native variety grown in high elevations from 3,300 to 4,000 meters above sea level. Historically, native potatoes were localized to the Andes, but in the modern day, native varieties are being promoted for increased cultivation across the country. Huayro Macho potatoes are one of the most commercially produced native varieties and have been selected as a tuber for making potato chips through the company Inka Crops in 2024. The variety was also chosen by Wong Supermarkets, a popular grocer in Peru, in 2023 as a potato to be sold in their native tuber displays in stores. Huayro Macho potatoes are cultivated in the regions of Junín, Pasco, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Andahuaylas, Apurimac, Jauja, and Huancayo. The Huayro Macho potatoes featured in the photograph above were sourced through markets in Lima, Peru.
