Oca

Oca, also known as Peruvian tuber, is a member of the wood sorrel family, and is native to the Andes Mountains. Oca grows at 13,000 ft. elevation, where the consistently mild, cool, humid climate is perfectly suited to the potato-like vegetable.

The Chef’s Garden is a world away from Peru. Our state sits a mere 548 feet above sea level, and Ohio weather is anything but consistent as temperatures dip below zero in winter, and climb into the 90s in summer.

And yet, on a 12 degree January day, when our fields are covered in ice and snow, we are doing the impossible.

It took years to crack the code. Early attempts were unsatisfactory. Summers were too hot, and winters too cold. If the sun didn’t burn the plants, the frost did. So growers sheltered the plants under tunnels to control temperature, humidity, irrigation, airflow, sun and frost exposure. When seed became scarce, the team perfected a seedless way to propagate the plants, which gave them the freedom to cultivate, refine and improve their own seed stock and the final result.

Entering the 70 degree microclimate of the Oca tunnel in mid-January is like stepping into spring time, with a heater gently circulating warm air. After an 11-month growing cycle, harvesters kneel between the rows, raking and combing their fingers through dirt–tangled roots, coaxing the tubers free.

Plants waiting to be harvested rest beneath a floating cover blanket protecting them from frost, which is still a danger at night, even inside the tunnel.

Sorting through a bin of mixed Oca is like looking for seashells. They’re all essentially the same, but no two are alike. At a glance, Oca could easily be mistaken for dimpled waxy-skinned potatoes. Some are the size and shape of long narrow pine cones. Other’s egg-sized. Some are as tiny as cranberries.

Field Crops Manager Tom Skrovan said Oca is only available for a limited time, and that chefs should jump on the opportunity before supplies are gone. Many chefs have never tried Oca because it isn’t widely grown in the U.S. It is  a good opportunity to introduce a chef to something new.

The texture of Oca is crisp and watery. The lighter colors are slightly bitter and starchy, with the crunch of a water chestnut. The deeper-hued red varieties have the familiar sweet/tart tang of sorrel, with texture more like apple or Asian pear.

Our Oca is a shining example of seasonal anticipation and uniqueness of Nature’s pulse. It is a rare jewel mined by hand from the Earth’s surface. But it won’t last forever. Call us or visit our website before they’re going, going, gone.