History of Maca

06/12/03

Though it is believed that Maca was cultivated as early as 4000 B.C., it was most likely fully domesticated between 1200 and 100 B.C. by the Pumpush, fierce warrior tribes that migrated up from the jungles. It continued to be cultivated throughout the Andean highlands and was brought to greater perfection by the Yaro, who arrived between 1100 and 1470 A.D. They cultivated immense fields of Maca, highly desirable for its “fabulous fertility and aphrodisiacal properties.” After the Inca conquest of these tribes, they sent great quantities to Cusco as tribute to their new rulers. Much of it was fed to troops to increase their vitality and fortitude.

In their turn, the conquered Incas and their minions paid tribute to the Spanish in Maca and other goods. In 1549, it is listed in the records as the only good sent as tribute to the colonial government, a whopping 15000-18000 pounds. Even though the Spanish officially despised native foods, they may have dipped into the Maca bag for two reasons: 1) The high altitudes of the Andes made the Spaniards nearly infertile. 2) Maca had a long indigenous tradition of increasing fertility and fortitude.

Within the traditional Andean medicine concept of cold and hot, Maca is a hot plant. The properties attributed to this singular plant include increase in fertility in all mammals, aphrodisiac, revitalizer and regulator, anti-arthritic, helpful in respiratory maladies. No wonder traditional consumers of Maca have a saying: Maca is Life, Maca is Health.

Knowledge of this little root's properties passed word of mouth through generations since time immemorial; tell of its use to increase fertility in humans and livestock alike; its ability to relieve frigidity in women and impotence in men; its adaptogenic virtues of revitalizer of internal organs and regulator of menstruation, and reliever of symptoms of menopause. It is also recommended for malnutrition, convalescence, memory loss, mental debility, and as a general tonic; its anti-arthritic properties as a hot plant; its use in treating respiratory ailments. Some herbalists recommend not using Maca for people with hypertension. However, this counter indication has not been tested scientifically.

In ancient times, Maca was cooked whole in pits, layered with coals of charred earth and roots. This they called “huatia”. Or they made “atunca” by boiling, mashing, and rolling it into balls and cooking it in clay pots lined with straw. Today Maca’s uses are quite varied. Its most popular use on the international market is as capsules and tablets. But diversity should be its middle name because it is also an excellent ingredient in concoctions both sweet and savory. Maca’s piquant butterscotch character is the foundation of unique products ranging from liqueurs to baked goods.

For all of Maca’s amazing history and its indubitable service to humans, it is virtually incomprehensible to find that as late as 1992, it was listed as in danger of extinction. In 1979, Maca’s darkest year, the Peruvian Dept. of Agriculture found only 25 hectares (about 70 acres) of Maca under cultivation in the entire country! Since the 1980’s though, Maca cultivation has been rising slowly, and now there is a true renaissance afoot. New life is being breathed again into the soils of the high Andes as the secrets of the lost root are being revealed around the world.

The Importance of Maca in the History of Peru
Maca's cultivation goes back perhaps five millennia. It was an integral part of the diet and commerce of the high Andes region. When they controlled that certain South American region, the Incas found maca so potent that they restricted its use to their Royalty's court. Upon overrunning the Inca people, conquering Spaniards became aware of this plant's value and collected tribute in maca roots for export to Spain.

Maca was used as an energy enhancer and for nutrition by the Spanish Royalty as well. But eventually knowledge of maca's special qualities died out, being preserved only in a few remote Peruvian communities. In the 1960s and later in the 1980s, German and North American scientists researching botanicals in Peru, rekindled interest in maca through nutritional analyses of what was designated as 'the lost crops of the Andes.' The publication of a book by that name introduced maca.

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Be well,
Medicine Plants™

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