Cacho de Toro Potatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Cacho de Toro potatoes vary in size and shape, depending on growing conditions, and average 8 to 12 centimeters in length. The tubers are generally narrow and oblong in shape with slightly tapered, blunt ends. Some of the tubers can be lightly curved, while others can grow in a circular shape. Cacho de Toro potatoes also have a knobbed, lumpy nature due to deep-set eyes that create indents on the tuber’s surface. The skin is semi-thick, taut, and textured when raw, covered in raised brown markings. Once cooked, the skin becomes pleasantly chewy. The skin also has a red-purple to dark purple hue, enveloped in a layer of brown-grey soil when sold in markets. Underneath the surface, the raw flesh has a dense, firm, and slippery feel, showcasing variegated and marbled dark purple and cream-colored hues. The flesh exhibits a prominent ring of ivory flesh just below the skin, and the flesh has a floury consistency, meaning it contains more dry matter than moisture. When cooked, the flesh develops a sandy, fluffy, soft, and tender texture, and the skin often splits in the heating process. Cacho de Toro potatoes are edible after cooking and have a mild and earthy
Seasons/Availability
Cacho de Toro potatoes are available year-round.
Current Facts
Cacho de Toro potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are a rare South American variety belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The unusually shaped, pigmented tubers are categorized as a type of native potato, known as papa nativa in Peru. Cacho de Toro potatoes are also known as Wenccos, Papa Cacho, and Winqu, and the variety is a non-commercial native potato, meaning it is only grown on a small scale for select markets. It is important to note that there are several varieties and hybrids generally labeled as Cacho de Toro in markets throughout South America. Purple-pigmented Cacho de Toro potatoes in Peru were once overlooked by grocers due to their small size and irregular shape, but as native potatoes were promoted throughout Peru and neighboring countries as a valued crop, varieties, including Cacho de Toro, increased in visibility among consumers. Cacho de Toro potatoes are productive, producing around 30 to 35 tubers per plant, and the potatoes are harvested 150 to 160 days after sowing. The variety is also resistant to diseases, cold tolerant, and hardy, primarily grown at high elevations in the highlands of the Andes mountains. Cacho de Toro potatoes are promoted as a specialty potato for use in cooked culinary dishes.
Nutritional Value
Cacho de Toro potatoes have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Like other purple-fleshed potatoes, the variety may be a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, potassium to balance fluid levels in the body, and phosphorus to repair cell tissues. Potatoes also provide calcium to protect bones and teeth, magnesium to control nerve functions, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, and other nutrients, including vitamin K, folate, manganese, and zinc. Purple-hued potatoes, in general, have been known for their anthocyanin content, which are natural pigments in the flesh that give the tubers their signature coloring. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant-like properties to protect the cells against the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress.
Applications
Cacho de Toro potatoes have a mild and earthy taste suited for cooked preparations. The long, often curved tubers are favored for their flesh coloring and are utilized in preparations to highlight this trait. Cacho de Toro potatoes are popularly sliced and fried into chips, cut into wedges and roasted as fries, or cut into segments and cooked as a side dish. The variety has a floury texture and develops crispy skin when fried. Cacho de Toro potatoes are incorporated into salads in Peru, and they are also a choice side dish to seafood such as white fish. The variety can also be made into mashed potatoes or pureed and spread as a base for layered dishes of meats and vegetables. In the Andes, Cacho de Toro potatoes are commonly fried, parboiled, or roasted and mixed with other native varieties as a filling side dish. Cacho de Toro potatoes pair well with artichokes, corn, tomatoes, legumes, peas, carrots, spices such as cumin, coriander, paprika, and garlic, and meats such as veal, pork, beef, and poultry. Whole, unwashed Cacho de Toro potatoes will keep for several weeks to months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Cacho de Toro potatoes were named for their unusual curved to twisting shape. The memorable name roughly translates from Spanish to mean “bull’s horn,” and the tubers embody this moniker for their dark skin coloring, slightly tapered shape at the ends, and curved nature. In the 21st century, Cacho de Toro potatoes were selected as a native potato variety with the potential to be cultivated for commercial processing. Inka Crops, a company established in 2000, produces various commercial snacks rooted in Peruvian culinary traditions. The company partnered with Peruvian potato farmers to produce four native potato varieties for processing into chips. The four varieties selected, Cacho de Toro, Sumac Sonqo, Huayro Macho, and Qeqorani, are being grown in over 24 farming communities in Peru's Huancavelica and Huancayo regions. This process of commercializing native potato varieties is thought to help increase the awareness of less common tubers and acts as a source of income for families in rural communities.
Geography/History
Cacho de Toro potatoes are native to South America and are descendants of wild varieties found in regions of the Andes Mountains. Much of the variety’s history is unknown, as little written records are available about the tuber, but there are two main theories to the potato’s site of origin. One theory states that the variety stems from the Tayacaja province in the Huancavelica region of Peru. Communities of Tayacaja are of Quechua descent, and the tubers grow at high altitudes ranging from 3,300 to 4,200 meters in elevation. Another theory connects horn-shaped potatoes to Chile in the Guaitecas archipelago. Potatoes grown in this region are known as papa cacho or horn potato. It is unclear if these are the same potatoes as the ones found in Peru or if they are different tubers with a similar shape and colors. Despite their murky origins, Cacho de Toro potatoes are prevalently grown throughout the highland regions of the Andes and are sold in markets throughout the country as a specialty cultivar. In the early 21st century, Wong Supermarkets in Lima promoted Cacho de Toro potatoes as a native variety in their produce sections. Today, Cacho de Toro potatoes are primarily grown in the regions of Huancavelica, Huancayo, and Junín in Peru. The Cacho de Toro potatoes featured in the photograph above were sourced through markets in Lima, Peru.
