SWEET STORY CHALLENGE
By: ARMANDO LA HOZ
If I go back 100 years ago, when my grandpa Julio was alive and tending coffee beans every other day, I can almost taste the sweet, sweet memories of how amazing it must’ve been back then. Digging is what’s it’s all about, isn’t it? That is what going back in time is, kind of, like digging a hole in the ground, deeper and deeper, until you start finding small roots here and there, and then, digging some more, you can find even bigger more pronounced roots, roots that have had time to develop, to mature, to become timeless, to ripen. The story I am about to tell you is actually about my grandpa Julio and the memory is a sweet one, a sweet memory involving a root in the ground by the name of Yacon.
Right around the start of the millennium, a root called Yacon started gaining little and little more popularity in the US. Through trade, through word of mouth, and nowadays even through YouTube, the wonderfully sweet root Yacon has been gaining traction among nutritionists, garden enthusiasts, the scientific community, and so on. But what is this root? Is it really like a root root? As in a tree root? Yes, it is! It is believed that Yacon was first discovered in Peru along the Andes. It was a Peruvian jewel just waiting to be discovered by the world.
My grandpa Julio lived 90 years in the magical and mysterious mountains of Peru. Mountains filled with colorful streaks of wonder and magic, a place where Machupicchu is one of the greatest wonders in the world, an amazing feat of arquitecture hidden away among incredible mountains. A place that is also home to Lake Titicaca, the tallest lake in the world! That is where Grandpa Julio tended to his coffee beans. I bet it must’ve been great, like grabbing an ice cold soda on a summer day: heaven!
He alwaysused to say, “Es la hora de Yaconar!”. This means “It’s time to Yaconate”. He jokingly used Yacon as a verb whenever he was in the field and feeling a little thirsty. So he would put his tools aside, grab his red towel and dry the sweat off his forehead with it. Then he would take his gloves off, which I thought was kind of funny, because he would take his gloves off, only to put his hands back in the ground again! But he said, when you started pulling a Yacon root out the ground, the soild would be very cold so would feel very soothing to his hands that had toiled very hard all day in the field. And then, once he had yanked a Yacon out, he would cut the skin out with his knife, as you would with a carrot or a potato, and start eating the Yacon right then and there with a big smile in his face. He used to do this every day he worked on the fields. I bet it was probably like pulling a Coca-Cola from the ground for him.
The Incas used to call this wonderful fruit “The Water Root”, and it really is just that. Once you peel it, the meat of the fruit is almost like apple consistency, but tastes like pineapple and is very juicy and watery, very refreshing, and most importantly, very sweet! They can grow up to 2 meters high from the root, and produce daisy-like yellow flowers. In fact, right around when the flowers start blooming, that’s when you know it’s time to pick the roots. Pretty easy, if you ask me. My grandma used to be the first one to notice it was harvest time for the Yacon, mainly because she loved the beautiful flowers the plant bloomed. She would put the yellow flowers all over her house. Of course, she would grab at least a root or two of Yacon, too. Who could resist such a sweet and wonderful fruit?
Grandpa Julio used to joke about everything. He loved feeding the birds about when the sun started to set in his big coffee plantation. He had strategically planted Yacon all over the coffee plants, so when he and his workers needed to get a refreshment, they could just dig in, peel, and enjoy some sweet Yacon under the mountainous Sun. This is probably the secret of why everyone who worked at my grandpa’s coffee plantation lived so long! But it could also be attributed to some Incan magic, but I like think it was Yacon.
Nowadays, we know it has many health properties that help keep your body healthy, active, and all around happy.It has been said to help with weight loss, maintain a lower blood pressure, keep sugar levels regulated, and give the “bad” cholesterol a run for its money, improving liver health, preventing certain types of cancer, and boosting digestive health and improving the immune system. I can definitely understand how my Grandpa Julio had that strength that got him to live such a great and long life.
I am sure his good health was related to the consumption of this amazing root, it made him live a healthy and happy life.
A lot of people, like my grandma did, turn a Yacon into a syrup. My grandparents would always use Yacon syrup instead of sugar, they would use it for cakes, too. Many guests would try it in their coffee and be amazed at how good it tasted, saying they would’ve never imagined that Yacon syrup would taste so good. But even the meat itself was good for making tea, my grandma would let the fruit dry up and then crush it, so she could boil the dry fruit in water. It would make the most wonderfully sweet drink. I usually left mine outside to let it cool off, because I liked it cold.
Sharing all of this with someone, is a one of a kind feeling, it’s been a treat remembering all these great things and experiences I had as a little boy. I hope everyone can feel the great joy, eating or drinking this wonderful Fruit. It is definitely something that should be shared with everyone. I am sure everyone will love it right down to the root! It was a pleasure sharing this chapter and letting you know about the excellent properties of a wonderful root that we can enjoy and taste today.