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| − | {{nofootnote|date=September 2007}}
| + | #REDIRECT [[Arracacia xanthorrhiza]] |
| − | {{Taxobox
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| − | | color = lightgreen
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| − | | name = Arracacha
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| − | | image = Arracacha.jpg
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| − | | image_width = 250px
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| − | | image_caption = An arracacha root, partially covered by dirt.
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| − | | regnum = [[Plantae]]
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| − | | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| − | | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| − | | ordo = [[Apiales]]
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| − | | familia = [[Apiaceae]]
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| − | | genus = ''[[Arracacia]]''
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| − | | species = '''''A. xanthorrhiza'''''
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| − | | binomial = ''Arracacia xanthorrhiza''
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| − | | binomial_authority = [[Bancr.]]
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| − | }}
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| − | The '''arracacha''' ('''''Arracacia xanthorriza''''') is a [[garden]] [[root vegetable]] originally from the [[Andes]], somewhat intermediate between the [[carrot]] and [[celery]]. Its [[starch]]y [[taproot]] is a popular food item in [[South America]], especially in [[Brazil]] where it is a major commercial crop.
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| − | The name '''''arracacha''''' (or '''''racacha''''') was borrowed into [[Spanish language|Spanish]] from [[Quechua language|Quechua]], and is used in the [[Andes|Andean]] region. The plant is also called '''''apio criollo''''' ("[[Spanish Criollo peoples|Creole]] [[celery]]") in [[Venezuela]], '''''zanahoria blanca''''' ("white carrot") in [[Ecuador]], '''''virraca''''' in [[Peru]], and '''''mandioquinha''''' ("little [[cassava]]") or '''''batata-baroa''''' in [[Brazil]]. It is sometimes called '''white carrot''' in [[English language|English]], but that name properly belongs to white varieties of the common [[carrot]].
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| − | The leaves are similar to [[parsley]], and vary from dark green to purple. The roots resemble fat short [[carrot]]s, with lustrous off-white skin. The interior may be white, yellow, or purple.
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| − | ==Cultivation and uses==
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| − | The most important part is the starchy root. It cannot be eaten raw, but when cooked it develops a distinctive flavor and aroma that have been described as "a delicate blend of celery, cabbage and roast chestnuts".
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| − | The boiled root has about the same uses as boiled potatoes, including side dishes, [[purée]]s, [[dumpling]]s and ''[[gnocchi]]'', pastries, etc., with the advantage of its flavor and (depending on the variety) its intense color. In the Andes region it is made into fried chips, biscuits, and coarse flour. Because it is highly digestible (due to the small size of its [[starch]] grains), purées and soups made from it are considered excellent for babies and children.
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| − | Fresh arracachas keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. 100 grams of arracacha provide about 100 [[calorie]]s (26 g of dry matter, 23 g being [[carbohydrate]], and less than 1 g of [[protein]]). The plant is rich in [[calcium]] (four times as much as [[potato]]es).
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| − | The yellow [[cultivar]] contains substantial amounts of [[carotenoid pigment]]s, precursors to [[vitamin A]], to the point that excessive consumption of arracachas may cause yellowing of the skin (a condition that is not considered to be harmful).
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| − | The young stems can be eaten cooked or in salads, and the leaves can be fed to livestock.
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| − | The plant is very susceptible to viruses and is slow to mature (10-12 months), but requires much less fertilizer input than the [[potato]], and is very lucrative. It was imported into Brazil in the [[19th century]] and has been grown commercially since the [[1960]]s. Brazilian crop improvement programs have developed varieties that grow in seven months.
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| − | The harvest season in the Southern Hemisphere spans from January to September. The roots must be picked promptly lest they become woody. They have a short shelf life and must reach consumers within a week of harvest. The plant grows west of the Andes at altitudes varying from 200 m to 3600 m, but optimally between 1800 and 2500 m. It is frequently grown with other crops such as [[maize]], [[beans]], and [[coffee]].
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| − | ==References==
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| − | * {{cite book
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| − | | author=M. Hermann
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| − | | date=1997
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| − | | title=Arracacha. (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancroft)
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| − | | editor=M. Hermann and J. Heller (eds)
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| − | | booktitle=Andean roots and tubers: Ahipa, arracacha, maca, yacon. Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops
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| − | | volume=21
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| − | | publisher=Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy
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| − | | pages=75-172
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| − | | url=http://www.cipotato.org/artc/artc_hermann/Arracacha.pdf
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| − | }}
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| − | ==External Links==
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| − | [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Arracacia+xanthorrhiza Plants for a Future database entry]
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| − | [http://ecoport.org/ep?Plant=3386&entityType=PL****&entityDisplayCategory=full ecoport database entry]
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| − | [[Category:Apiaceae]]
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| − | [[Category:Root vegetables]]
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| − | [[Category:Underutilized crops]]
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| − | [[Category:Staple foods]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of South America]]
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