Ulluco 'Long Yellow' / 'Yellow Banana'

Fortunately, more and more people are familiar with this unique tuber! In South America, it is the most important tuber crop after the potato. Especially around the Andes Mountains (Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia), this tuber has been popular for centuries and cultivated by the indigenous peoples. Like the Jicama, the tuber retains its crisp texture after (short) cooking. Due to their high moisture content, the tubers are unsuitable for baking or frying. The leaves are edible as spinach, just like sweet potatoes and basella (the Ulluco family belongs to the latter). The plants creep or climb with tendrils and are not winter-hardy. Watch out for slug damage; growing them in raised beds or pots works very well due to the better soil warmth. The harvest is late in autumn; some protection, for example with fleece, helps with tuber setting, especially if September and October are cold and bleak. 'Long Yellow' is light yellow and slender, oblong in shape.

Names:
Latin: Ullucus tuberosus
Dutch: Ulluco
Also: Papa Lisa
English: Ulluco