It’s not easy to keep on top of maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. The market has “cooked” up all kinds of solutions to this issue: meal plans, delivery services, and meal substitutes are all short-term solutions to a long-term lifestyle issue that has become increasingly commonplace. No matter what your favorite influencer says, we don’t all have time to dedicate to extensive menu-planning and meal-prep.

A simple, straightforward solution? Make your calories count. Nutritious meals can be prepared simply and quickly, as long as you’re willing to invest in quality ingredients. While food deserts are very much a thing, many people do have access to superfoods like kale and tomatoes year-round. But thinking outside the box could be a real game-changer.

That’s where maca comes in.

Cooking with Maca

The native inhabitants of the Peruvian Andes have been cooking with maca for centuries. Historical diets would have been restricted by regional availability and what was in season, but if you’re here today it means your ancestors found a way to make it work! Now it’s up to you to make healthy choices that will carry on. And cooking with maca is one of those choices.

What can you cook with maca? Maca root is a cruciferous vegetable, belonging to the same family as cauliflower, radishes, and turnips. To get the best idea of how to use maca, take a look at some of the traditional recipes learned from those residents of the Andes who have been cooking with the root for so long.

One common way to enjoy maca over the centuries has been to prepare a simple but filling porridge with whole maca roots called Mazamorra de Maca. Something important to keep in mind is that it is presently illegal to import whole maca roots from Peru. Due to unscrupulous importing tactics, Peru has outlawed the removal of whole maca plants, roots, and seeds from the country. That said, we’re one of the few sellers to stock maca root chips - whole dried maca root cut into smaller pieces. Here’s how you can incorporate them into the recipe:

Mazamorra De Maca

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (130g) Maca chips
• 1 cup (130g) flour
• ¼ cup (32g) sugar (honey or other sweetener)
• 2 cups (250ml) milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• Clove, cinnamon and/or anise to taste
• 4 cups (500 ml) water

Preparation:

Simmer the Maca chips in water along with spices until soft (about 1 hour), adding water if necessary. Add flour, sugar and milk and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Enjoy immediately. Mazamorra may be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

A Modern Take

With maca’s rise in popularity in recent years, its application as an ingredient has been further explored. Soups and stews are endemic to just about every culture, appreciated for their ability to showcase a good flavor profile while staying easy (if time-consuming) to prepare. Our friend Carly Morgan Gross at the Mind Body Green has shared with us her recipe for a delicious maca soup you’re sure to enjoy.

Pumpkin Lentil Maca Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups lentils (preferably soaked in water overnight)
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ginger powder
• 2 Tbsp. chopped basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped sage
• 2 Tbsp. maca powder
• 1 tsp. mesquite powder (optional)
• 1 head kale, chopped
• 1/2 tsp (or more) sea salt
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add every ingredient except kale to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover. Keep this on the stove for at least a couple hours. The longer the better; the flavors infuse more and more with each minute that goes by. When you're getting ready to serve, add the kale. Let the soup heat the kale to the point at which it turns just green, approximately three minutes. Top your soup with fresh basil and fresh sprouts for some raw goodness!

Why Cook with Maca?

Like we stated earlier, a key part of maintaining a healthy diet is to make sure you’re using plenty of nutritious ingredients. Our organic maca is grown and harvested in Peru, farmed by a co-op of locals who take great care of their fields. We import it only in small batches at the peak of harvest season, ensuring that the maca products you receive will be as fresh as possible. We want you to know that when you buy from The Maca Team, you’re getting Fair Trade, non-GMO product that’s been responsibly and sustainably grown. A good diet starts with good choices!

Questions?

In case you couldn’t tell, we love to talk about our maca. So don’t hesitate to Contact Us using our web form, or call us toll-free at 888-919-8616!

Enjoy the day!