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Kissa Castañeda

A single white ball rests on a wooden plate, looking like a quail egg and feeling almost as hard as a marble when poked with a fork.
“Can you guess what it is,” asks our server, Josefina Escobar, at Hacienda Sarapampa, a family-owned estate in Peru’s Sacred Valley, the spiritual, agricultural and economic heartland of the Inca Empire (1438-1532). The estate’s farm-to-table restaurant stands in a 100-acre corn plantation close to the Urubamba river, surrounded by golden fields, mature trees and roaming baby alpacas.
I am stumped. Choclo, the giant corn loved locally and one of Peru’s prized exports, is grown on the estate, so to suggest that this oval oddity is a supersized corn kernel would be too easy.
“Is it a nut or a bean,” I ask.
“Good try, but no,” she replies, with a smile.

“A potato?” ventures my husband. He is correct; perhaps it’s only fitting that an Irishman has a nose for potatoes, considering its place as a staple in his homeland.
This specimen is a moraya, we’re told, a freeze-dried potato from the Andes. In its raw state, it is naturally bitter and inedible due to a high glycoalkaloid content. Also known as tunta or chuño blanco, the moraya is produced using an 8,000-year-old Andean preservation technique that transforms it into a safe, shelf-stable foodstuff.
Escobar explains that first, the potatoes are left to freeze in the high-altitude night air before being thawed, soaked in running water and sun-dried – a tedious process that removes the bitterness and toxic compounds while preserving the pebble-like potato for years. Born of necessity, the moraya has become a symbol of Andean resilience and culinary ingenuity, well loved by chefs for its unique texture, subtle earthy flavour and the history it brings to contemporary dishes.
I tentatively bite into my moraya and find it denser and starchier than any potato I’ve ever tried. This, I believe, is my first taste of authentic Peruvian potatoes, as yet unaware that every potato I’ve ever eaten has its roots in Peru.
From pillowy gnocchi to crispy triple-cooked chips and comforting, butter-laden mashed potatoes, all the potato dishes we enjoy trace their lineage back to the Peruvian Andes. Before the potato conquered the world, it was domesticated in the high-altitude Andean plateaux, between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.

For the Inca, the potato was not mere sustenance but the foundation of civilisation. When the Spanish invaded Peru in 1531, in search of gold, they discovered the innovations of the Inca Empire, including terraced farms, stone citadels and treasure in the form of giant corn and potatoes. In the 16th century, the Spanish took the potato to Europe.
Imagine seeing a potato for the first time – holding the hard, strangely shaped vegetable, feeling its matte, dimpled skin and not knowing the wonders it contains. Born in the extreme conditions of the Andes, it is a resilient crop able to thrive at various elevations and, over four centuries, it has become the world’s third-most important food crop, after rice and wheat. Endlessly adaptable in the kitchen, the versatile vegetable has shaped cuisines.
While it is embraced across borders, the potato’s soul remains in Peru. To this day, farmers cultivate a mind-boggling array of tubers, so much so that the country remains the undisputed centre of potato biodiversity, with more than 4,000 native varieties found nowhere else on Earth.
Living in Ireland, I thought I knew enough about potatoes. I’ve come to learn which types are suited for roasting or mashing, and why baby potatoes are the go-to when I have only 15 minutes to whip up a meal. I’ve had potatoes in more ways in Ireland than anywhere else and have developed a higher standard for crisps, deeming local brand Keogh’s the best.
However, I realise how limited my exposure has been when I meet Manuel Choqque Bravo, a fourth-generation farmer and agricultural engineer who is widely called “the potato whisperer”.

Lightfoot Travel helped organise a visit to his family home, close to Chinchero, one of the highest towns in the region, at 3,762 metres above sea level. On a plateau ringed by mountains, with a great view of snow-capped Mount Chicón, the town of cobblestone streets is a key stop on the Sacred Valley circuit thanks to an archaeological site featuring Inca terraces and a 17th century church that stands on the foundations of Incan royal Túpac Yupanqui’s palace, built to signify the dominance of Catholicism over Incan traditions. Chinchero’s traditional weaving heritage is also a draw; tourists can visit cooperatives in which artisans spin and weave alpaca and sheep’s wool using backstrap looms.
Dressed in a North Face jacket and black trousers, Bravo shakes my hand and welcomes me in with a wide smile. My husband and I are led to a cosy garden in which a modest tent stands over a white table, where we are asked to sit.
More than a dozen small potatoes are lined up on another table. They all look like ordinary spuds, until Bravo takes his knife and slices each one open to reveal a burst of electric colour. The first ones feature faint pink lines against the yellow flesh akin to tie-dye marks or a jellyfish’s hydrostatic skeleton. As he progresses, the colours grow deeper, leaning towards fuchsia. The last ones he slices are completely purple on the inside. Bravo explains that the pigment is a marker of polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds celebrated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities.
Bravo has painstakingly cross-pollinated native varieties to develop 380 hybrids, including what he calls “super potatoes”. These jewel-toned tubers have remarkably high concentrations of iron and zinc, and some contain up to 10 times more antioxidants than blueberries and five times more vitamin C than citrus fruits.

His work in preserving native varieties and developing new types isn’t only about safeguarding heritage, but also challenging how we think about these incredible crops. Learning how nutritious they are makes me think I should stop seeing potatoes as plain carbohydrates that we should eat very little of and instead consume them like quinoa, the other Peruvian superfood.
A bowl of potato crisps – a kaleidoscope of colour and flavour – lands on the table alongside a selection of local cheese and charcuterie. Then comes a lavender-hued potato bread dressed with olive oil. Finally, a plate arrives bearing six varieties of potato roasted simply with fragrant herbs. They are served with a fresh salad and succulent roast chicken, and accompanied by home-made uchucuta, the smoky, addictive Andean chilli sauce.
“All potatoes are tubers, but not all tubers are potatoes,” Bravo says, as he pours us a glass of Oxalis, the world’s first wine made from Andean tubers. It’s produced from fermented oca (uqa in Quechua, the lingua franca of the Inca Empire), a vibrant relative of the potato. The drink is the result of years of experimentation by Bravo’s family; they now produce red, white, rosé and orange expressions.
Bravo is in the midst of building a tasting room and restaurant in his garden, a project expected to open at the end of 2026. However, this isn’t the only place you can taste his creations. Many of Peru’s culinary heavyweights use Bravo’s potatoes in their dishes and offer Oxalis on their menus.
Despite the acclaim, Bravo’s focus remains rooted in the soil. He says that he wants to continue breeding hardier varieties that can adapt to climate change.

“[Bravo] is preserving generations of knowledge about Andean farming and the communities that have cultivated them for centuries,” says Oliver Lever, Lightfoot Travel’s head of Americas and Antarctica, who has worked with the potato whisperer for more than a decade. “For many travellers, visiting Manuel provides the context behind everything they go on to eat during the rest of their journey. That connection between the land, the producer and the plate is something you cannot experience from a restaurant table alone.”
A few hours with Bravo opens my eyes to the universe of the Peruvian potato and I begin noticing how it is incorporated in every restaurant I eat at thereafter.
Killa Wasi, the fine-casual restaurant at the Sol y Luna hotel in the Sacred Valley, sources produce from nearby farms, the potatoes and tubers presented in seasonal cheese soup as well as main dishes such as root-vegetable millefeuille. Likewise at Oqre, a restaurant within the Monasterio, a Belmond Hotel, in nearby Cusco, where native potatoes are glazed beneath tangy ceviche and folded with local ají and seasonal artichokes, as well as served alongside crisp suckling pig.
One of the most artistic homages to Peruvian potatoes is found at Kjolle, the Lima restaurant currently ranked ninth on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Chef Pia León’s signature dish is Muchos Tubérculos (“Many Tubers”), which features paper-thin slices of olluco, an Andean tuber, that look like a rainbow. The assembly is held together by a rich, creamy paste, served over a tart constructed from cañihua (a grain similar to quinoa). It is delicate in appearance and approach, León having highlighted the colours and textures the vegetables inherently possess.

Served with the tart is a second plate showcasing eight tubers, each prepared using a different technique and brought together with an airy sachapapa foam. It is a beautiful expression of León’s philosophy: that Peru’s heritage ingredients deserve to be appreciated with the same reverence as caviar, uni and truffle.
Unsurprisingly, the most evocative tribute to the potato unfolds in the Andes, at Mil Centro, a one-of-a-kind restaurant created by chef Virgilio Martínez. At 3,568 metres above sea level, the restaurant overlooks the circular terraces of Moray, home to the agricultural experimentation of the Incas more than 500 years ago. Mil Centro is not just a restaurant; it also serves as the interdisciplinary research centre Mater Iniciativa, which is dedicated to studying the ecosystems, ingredients and communities of the Andes.
The tasting menu here is arranged by altitude, with each course distilling a different Andean environment through native tubers, wild herbs and local grains, revealing flavours that feel both ancient and entirely new. The most soulful course is Central Andes, which showcases the potato varieties papa qecoranne, papa yema de huevo, papa sangre de toro and papa puka boli, alongside mashua, oca and olluco. These are cooked in a huatia – an earthen oven built from soil after the harvest, using edible chaco clay and Maras salt – and the dish is served with a selection of fiery uchucuta sauces.

In June, Martínez and his team launched Qollqa Route – a five-hour immersion that begins with a visit to a local family for a glimpse of life in the Andes, including a demonstration of sankhu, a preparation of toasted grains ground by hand and mixed with herb-infused water into a paste. The experience concludes with an eight-course tasting menu at Mil Centro.
“We want to propose something totally different from what you can find in a restaurant,” says Martínez. “That is why we have worked a lot on communication, so that the person visiting Mil understands that they will not receive a conservative fine-dining proposal at all. On the contrary, it is about the idea of eating in the field, in the land, and connecting with these high-altitude ecosystems. It is about feeling immersed in these landscapes, in the heights of the Andes, and being able to understand how things worked hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
“It is an ancestral way of seeing tradition, together with innovation.”
The writer’s tour of the Sacred Valley was hosted by Lightfoot Travel and her meal at Mil Centro was on the house


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Food and Drinks

Revealed: the ancient Andean secrets behind Peru’s vibrant potato varieties

Potatoes dry in the sun in Peru’s Sacred Valley. Photo: Shutterstock

“Super potatoes” have high concentrations of iron and zinc, and some contain up to 10 times more antioxidants than blueberries and five times more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Photo: Coltur and Lightfoot

A farmer works on the selection and classification of potatoes in Pisac, Peru. Photo: Getty Images

Manuel Choqque Bravo, the agricultural engineer known as “the potato whisperer”. Photo: Kissa Castañeda

A bowl of crisps made from Manuel Choqque Bravo’s “super potatoes”. Photo: Coltur and Lightfoot

The pigment is a marker of polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds celebrated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Photo: Coltur and Lightfoot

Ingredients used in the second part of chef Pia León’s signature dish, Muchos Tubérculos (“Many Tubers”). Photo: Camila Novoa

The Central Andes course at Mil Centro showcases the potato varieties papa qecoranne, papa yema de huevo, papa sangre de toro and papa puka boli. Photo: Camila Novoa

Hong Kong’s 1,000-year-old tea heritage is being rediscovered and rehabilitated

Morning mist hangs over the tea plantation at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, in the New Territories. Photo: Alexander Mak

Li In, co-founder of the Hong Kong Tea Production Institute, pours tea at Mau Tso Ngam village. Photo: Alexander Mak

Farmers pick tea leaves at the tea plantation of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Alexander Mak

Yip Tsz-lam, regenerative agriculture manager at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, demonstrates the correct way to pluck tea leaves, using a pinching technique to pick two leaves and a bud. Photo: Alexander Mak

A farmer hand-picks tea leaves on a misty morning at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Alexander Mak

Freshly picked tea leaves at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Alexander Mak

Yip Tsz-lam (centre), regenerative agriculture manager at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, and Li In (right) and Chan Tsz-ting, co-founders of the Hong Kong Tea Production Institute, at the tea plantation of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Alexander Mak

A worker at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden rolls tea leaves on a bamboo withering tray after the first pan-frying step. Applying pressure evenly to the leaves helps reduce moisture and release the tea’s aroma. Photo: Alexander Mak

A tiny tea green leafhopper on a tea leaf. The insects’ bite causes the plant to release a chemical defence, producing a honeyed fragrance in the tea. Photo: Alexander Mak

Li In (right) and Chan Tsz-ting inspect saplings from Mau Tso Ngam’s heritage trees planted at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Alexander Mak

Mau Tso Ngam is located on the foothills of Fei Ngo Shan, where residents still grow tea, carrying on two centuries of continuous cultivation. Photo: Alexander Mak

Hakka villager Sister Hung tends to the tea trees she planted four decades ago, in Mau Tso Ngam village. Photo: Alexander Mak

Sister Hung works fast to ‘saat ching’ (“kill the green”), the first step in pan-frying tea leaves, in Mau Tso Ngam. Photo: Alexander Mak

Sister Hung works on the final step of processing tea leaves, which turn dark green after being pan-fried. Photo: Alexander Mak

Li In helps Sister Hung prepare tea leaves before the pan-frying process, in Mau Tso Ngam. Photo: Alexander Mak

Fresh tea leaves turn dark green after being dried during the pan-frying process. The finished product resembles the processed leaves commonly found in commercial packs. Photo: Alexander Mak

Li In believes tea belongs to the land from which it came. Photo: Alexander Mak

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Balti women on the Indian side of the border in traditional dress. Photo: Pachuk Nyoma

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The lush valley of the icy blue Shyok River. Photo: Reem Khokhar

The main market street of Leh, in Indian-administered Ladakh. Photo: Shutterstock

Dining with Turtuk’s king, Yabgo Mohammad Khan Kacho, at his family’s 14th century palace. Photo: courtesy Virsa Baltistan

The setting for dinner with the Turtuk king, Yabgo Mohammad Khan Kacho. Photo: Reem Khokhar

Botanist Mohammed Ali Bari was five years old when he was separated from his parents across the border. He and his brother were raised by the Indian Army. Photo: Reem Khokhar

Virsa Baltistan is a 12-room boutique luxury property built in the style of a traditional Balti palace. Photo: Avani Rai

A traditional Balti musician. Photo: Ansen Antony

Locals celebrate Navroze, the Persian New Year. Photo: Pachuk Nyoma

A hike up the craggy slopes to the Turtuk Monastery offers sweeping views of the area, colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. Photo: Reem Khokhar

A nangchung, a natural cold-storage space that served as communal stores for perishable food. Photo: courtesy Virsa Baltistan

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A horse-drawn carriage takes visitors around Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia. Photo: Getty Images

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The Severinus Durfey Tailoring Shop, part of the living-history museum at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Photo: Getty Images

The Martin Guitar Factory in Pennsylvania. Photo: Shutterstock

A 37-metre-tall steel replica of Babe Ruth’s bat at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in Kentucky. Photo: Shutterstock

The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. Photo: Shutterstock

A log cabin at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina. Photo: courtesy John C. Campbell Folk School

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Chinese American Historical Museum at the Ng Shing Gung, San Jose, California. Photo: Shutterstock

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The historic salinas, or salt flats, of Pedra de Lume, Cabo Verde.  Photo: Troy Nahumko

Guide João attracts juvenile lemon sharks with bait in Shark Bay. Photo: Troy Nahumko

The beach at Santa Maria. Photo: Getty Images

The promenade of Santa Maria with souvenir shops. Photo: Shutterstock

The Santa Maria beach and pier on Sal during sunset. Photo: Shutterstock

The city of Espargos and its colorful houses, seen from the Monte Curral heights at noon, on Sal, Cabo Verde. Photo: Shutterstock

The salinas of Pedra de Lume on Sal. Photo: Shutterstock

The “blue eye”, in the bay of Buracona, is visible at midday, when the sun reaches its apex. Photo: Shutterstock

The tourist complex around Buracona. The point (on the left) is the area where the blue eye can be seen. Photo: Troy Nahumko

One of the many murals to be found in Santa Maria. Photo: Troy Nahumko

Discover Negros Occidental: the Philippines’ organic slow-food paradise

Crabs are quickly sorted for size then steamed to lock in their freshness, in Tortosa, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

The signature dish at Aida’s Chicken Inasal – flame-licked birds marinated in a blend of garlic, ginger, annatto oil and calamansi, then slow-grilled over charcoal. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Fishermen sort through the day’s catch of blue swimmer crabs in Tortosa, a small fishing village an hour’s drive from Bacolod. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Crabs are steamed in huge baskets to lock in their freshness, in Tortosa. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Francisco “Kiko” Torno prepares a multi-course lunch on a dyke at his fish farm. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Mud clams raised on Torno’s aquaculture farm are roasted over an open fire. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Pagatpat mangrove trees on Suyac Island, a 20-minute outrigger boat ride from the Negros mainland. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Carbin Reef, a spit of pristine white sand topped by a handful of windblown palm trees and a tarpaulin tent. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Sea urchins at Carbin Reef. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Ramon “Chin Chin” Uy Jnr, founder of the Fresh Start Organics farm network. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Earthworm “employees” at a Fresh Start Organics farm. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Dry-aged Wagyu beef, fermented kamote mash and organic roasted vegetables at Sauma. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Chris Fadriga with one of his Criollo cacao beans. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

PostMag

Food & Drink

Travel

With 90 microclimates, Peru is home to an astonishing array of unique ingredients. Its greatest treasure, however, is the humble potato, of which there are more than 4,000 native varieties. PostMag heads to the Andes and discovers a growing appreciation for the spud in its ancestral home


With 90 microclimates, Peru is home to an astonishing array of unique ingredients. Its greatest treasure, however, is the humble potato, of which there are more than 4,000 native varieties. PostMag heads to the Andes and discovers a growing appreciation for the spud in its ancestral home.


Peru