How Can I Buy Maca Root?

It’s harder than ever to be sure of where your food is coming from. Even purchasing produce or food items at farmer’s markets has become tricky - how can you be sure that “organic” honey isn’t just the same old stuff from the grocery store with a pretty new label on it? You can’t always shop local, but it’s important to be sure that the food you’re consuming is healthy, whole, and sustainably-grown. So how can you be sure our maca meets those requirements?

Regulations on Maca Exports

It might seem like the obvious solution is to grow your own maca, or to purchase it directly from its farmers. This can be relatively straightforward depending on where the crop is grown, and where you’re located. When it comes to maca, unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

In previous posts, we’ve talked about maca’s importance as a superfood that has been harvested for centuries in the Andes of Peru. It flourishes under a unique set of conditions that are particular to that region, and to the farming methods handed down through generations of local growers. In short: maca is from the high Andes of Peru - and that’s where our maca comes from. Though Peru has banned the export of whole maca root as well as maca seeds, we’re able to acquire our maca from a co-op of farmers in the Junin Plateau region where it’s sustainably-grown and harvested. We’re proud to say that our maca is certified GMO-free and Fair Trade.

That doesn’t mean that maca isn’t grown anywhere else, though. In the early 2000s, maca seeds were smuggled into China from Peru and the farming of maca began taking place in the Yunan Province. Though maca root is being grown successfully in that country, there are some serious issues with the product produced there.

Peru is one of three South American countries that has a nationwide ban on GMOs. China has no such ban. Furthermore, unless that information is made readily available, you can’t be certain where your maca has come from - and you have no way of knowing whether or not it contains any synthetic compounds or additives. Consumers have reported differences in taste and appearance between Chinese- and Peruvian-grown maca. When you buy your maca from The Maca Team, we want you to know where it was grown and how it was processed.

How Our Maca is Prepared

Though some of our processing methods are proprietary, we like to share as much information with you as we can about how the maca you’ll consume has been prepared for you. We purchased our maca root in small batches to ensure a suitable shelf-life, which means that the maca we make available to buyers is as fresh as it can be.

Our standard raw maca powders, which you can purchase in foil-lined packets of varying sizes or contained in vegan and gluten-free maca capsules, are sun-dried before being ground for consumption. The difference between these raw maca powders and our premium formulations is their drying method: products like our heritage-blend Premium Raw Tri-Color Maca Powder have been cleansed, pulped, and dried in a low-temperature dehydrator shortly after harvesting.

Our liquid maca extracts contain only two ingredients: maca root, and vegetable glycerin. The ensuing 4-step process produces a liquid solution that maintains the same nutrients and compounds of our powdered maca, and is also milder in flavor and more easy for the body to absorb.

If you want something as close as possible to whole maca root, though, consider trying out our Whole Maca Root Chips. That’s all there is to it: whole maca root that has been cut into smaller chunks and dehydrated. Use these chips in our Traditional Peruvian Maca Recipes to enjoy your maca the same way that locals in Peru might.

Buying From The Maca Team

We hope we’ve done a good job of detailing our commitment to providing organic, additive-free, totally-good-for-you maca products to our buyers. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We love talking about our maca. Contact Us using our web form, or call us toll-free at 888-919-8616.

Enjoy the day!