Edible roots and tubers are healthy food for Mayan people

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

The root is the lower part of a plant, they are almost always underground, although there are also aerial and aquatic roots. Roots are in charge of holding the plant to the ground, absorb water and minerals, synthesize hormones and store nutrients.

Roots are usually edible, some types of them are:

Napiform: root thickened by the storage of nutrients and shaped like a turnip.
Tuberous: root thickened by the storage of nutrients, without definite shape.

It is important to mention that napiform and tuberous roots are not the same as the bulbs and tubers, which are modified stems, not roots.

Some edible and native roots from Guatemala are:

1. Camote/Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.)

It’s a vine, up to 5 meters long, with green leaves and flared lilac and white flowers. It is distinguished by its edible roots, which can be purple, white or orange. It is located in different parts of Guatemala, like Alta Verapaz, Sacatepéquez, Izabal and Petén.

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

2. Jícama/Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb.)

Climbing plant, its flowers are blue, and its fruits are legumes. The root is very fleshy and shaped like a white turnip. They are located in the northern and eastern part of the country.

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

3. Malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott)

Plant up to 1 meter high with grouped and very showy leaves. With white and purple flowers with a very sweet smell. Its roots are considered a substitute for potatoes and can be cooked sweet or salty. It is located in Alta Verapaz, Izabal, Chiquimula, Santa Rosa, Sacatepéquez, Retalhuleu and Quetzaltenango.

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

4. Ichintal (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.)

Climbing plant with stems up to 10m long with green to white flowers. Its fruit is the güisquil, its tuberous root is the ichintal, which is solid and yellowish in color. It is grown in all its departments of Guatemala.

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

5. Yuca/Yucca (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Shrub up to 3 meters tall with green and webbed leaves with small yellow, red or purple flowers. Its root is edible, however, it is necessary to cook it since it has toxic compounds when it is raw. In Guatemala, it’s found in warm areas.

Photograph with a Nikon D5, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4e FL ED VR lens, f/11, ISO 200

Now that you know a little more about our native roots, let’s learn more about some of their nutritional benefits*

Root (100g)	Carbohydrates (g)	Fiber (g)	Fat (g)	Protein (g)

Camote/Sweet potato	17.72	2.50	0.14	1.37
Jícama/Jicama	8.82	4.90	0.09	0.72
Malanga	30.90	2.40	0.30	1.70
Ichintal	17.80	1.70	0.20	2.00
Yuca/Yucca	38.06	1.80	0.28	1.36
*Obtained from Tabla de Composición de Alimentos de Centroamérica (INCAP, 2007).

As you can see, the edible roots are rich in carbohydrates, which provide an immediate source of energy, storage of more energy and help the formation of other molecules such as proteins.