Quebrada de Humahuaca Andean Potatoes

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is located at the centre of Jujuy province, near to the northern border of Argentina. The Rio Grande cuts across this dry, vividly colored landscape at altitudes varying from 1,800-3,800 meters above sea level. The great wealth of ecosystems in this region has favored the development of hundreds of edible plant species, which have been conserved and refined through the patient work of local farmers. In addition to the many varieties of potato and corn, varieties of kiwicha, quinoa, oca and papa lisa are commonly cultivated, native plants that date back to the time of the conquistadores. These plants were often banned after the Europeans arrived because they were considered sacred and therefore seen as dangerous sources of superstition and idolatry. Today, the Andean food culture is an incredible resource, both for its genetic heritage and for its economic potential.
The first signs of the selection and cultivation of potatoes in the Quebrada de Humahuaca date back 4,000 years, to a time when every generation maintained the tradition of cultivating a particular type of potato and often families gave their own name to the varieties they had developed and farmed. Some communities grew a huge range of varieties of potatoes, while others specialized in seed conservation. In this way, seed varieties multiplied from generation to generation and were refined through centuries of cultivation. Despite this, a large number of the potato varieties once cultivated here have now been lost: almost half of the 70 varieties registered here 40 years ago have disappeared today.
The varieties of Andean potatoes that have survived are distinguished by their flavor, color, and high protein content. Three quarter of these varieties are part of the Solanum tuberosum andigena species, though there is still a good deal of debate about whether this is, in fact, a subspecies. The presidium has identified five varieties that are farmed at an altitude ranging from 2,100 to 3,800 meters: the Papa Azul is the sweetest potato in the group, cylindrical in shape with dark blue skin with white flecks and yellow flesh; the Papa Señorita, which is irregular in shape, has white skin streaked with pink and yellowish flesh; the Cuarentilla, pink skin and white flesh; the Tuni Morada is round and flat, dark skinned with white flesh perfect for mashing and the Chacarera, with blunted ends, white skin and white flesh, is perfect for frying. This latter variety has the added curiosity that it develops violet streaks if cultivated above 3,000 meters.