Eating Ullucos, a Staple in the Andean Altiplano, with Colombia’s Guambiono

Do you know of any food that can be bright orange, pale yellow, green, black, or pink? Meet ulluco, a popular staple in the Andean countries but little known, if at all, elsewhere. You’ll come across these tubers as you travel in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. Colombians like to eat them as well and call them chugua. Let’s see how Colombians prepare ullucos.

A Perfect Crop

No wonder ullucos are popular: they’re high in nutrients and easy to grow on the altiplano – high plains of the Andes – since they’re drought resistant. The entire plant can be eaten: tubers as well as leaves.

The scientific name for the genus ullucos is based on the Quechua name of ulluku, which is probably where the English spelling of ulluco comes from. The Spanish, on the other hand, call the vegetable olluco, and – to make it more confusing – in Ecuador the tubers are called melloco, and ruba in Venezuela. A general name used in South America is papa lisa.

Like potatoes, ullucos are a good source of carbs. In fact, the tubers look like very small potatoes but with such a soft skin that there is no need to peel them before they are boiled (just scrub them under running water). Unlike potatoes, ullucos are not suited for frying or baking; cooking is the way to prepare them. While they can be eaten raw, they are a bit too slimy and watery (at least for our taste). [pagebreak]

Ullucos Dishes

Ullucos are one of the ingredients of Colombia’s popular cocido boyacense, a potpourri dating from colonial times. While the exact combination of ingredients depends on the cook, the stew will include different kinds of meat, chicken, sausage, and legumes such as beans, peas, tomatoes, garlic, herbs. It may – apart from ullucos – also contain other tubers like potatoes, nabos, and/or ibias. 

While you will come across dishes with tubers throughout the Andean part of the country, Silvia is a good place to eat them as you can combine a traditional dish with a visit to a local market.

The vividly colored tubers fit well into Colombia’s most colorful market where Guambiano people gather to trade their goods. They are the only indigenous group in Colombia that continues wearing its traditional dress: black skirts topped with a purple/blue blanket around the shoulder. Some use this blanket as a wrap-around skirt, including men. Most men wear a blouse with a short poncho and a bowler hat.

In and around the market hall are a number of basic restaurants where you can enjoy an early breakfast, a snack throughout the day, and a typical lunch. Ullucos are on many menus, and one of the Guambiono ways to serve them is by mixing the boiled tubers with boiled egg, boiled potatoes, and fried onions.

Colombia’s main meal of the day is lunch. For little money you can order a set menu that always comes with soup (try sopa de maíz) and a main dish. As such, boiled ullucos may be part of an almuerzo with rice, salad, fried banana, and a choice of chicken or meat. Enjoy your meal.