Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) is a plant in the Basellaceae family.
Ulluco is one of the most widely grown and economically important tuber crops in the Andean region of South America, second only to potato. The leaves and the tuberous roots are edible, and are similar to potato and spinach, respectively. They are known to contain high levels of protein, calcium, and carotene. The major appeal of the ulluco is its crisp texture which, like the jicama, remains so even when cooked. Because of their high water content, ulloco are not suitable for frying or baking but they can be cooked in many other ways like a potato. In the pickled form, they are added to hot sauces.
Breaking the agricultural calendar with off-season crops of potatoes and ulluco also became a common route for the Quechua in Paucartambo seeking to escape from the market traps of wheat and conventional rainfed potatoes.
Potato landraces withstood drought and frost better than the improved varieties, quinoa and ulluco yielded dependably in a gamut of environments, and maize, although subject to damage from frost and drought, was protected with special cultivation and irrigation techniques.
Ulluco and maize in particular, which enjoyed great popularity during the postreform decades, had already been absorbed into non-Indian food habits during the colonial epoch.
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