A few years ago it was unknown, but today maca root is becoming increasingly popular. Whether as a delicious addition to dishes or as a useful oneDietary supplement – Macais considered a very unique superfood with many vital substances. The Incas knew it for a long time, now we're finally getting a taste for it.
What is maca root anyway?
High up in the Andes, at an altitude of 4,000 to 4,400 meters above sea level, a very special plant grows in Peru: the maca plant, a type of cress from the cruciferous family. But it's not the plant that's so special, but rather the tuberous, yellowish-red root, which is externally reminiscent of turnips.
The Incas (the legendary natives of Peru) knew, cultivated and consumed the maca root more than 3,000 years ago. They trusted the many ingredients in the tuber and believed that the root made them strong and strong. After all, the plant survives the extreme weather of the Andes and can easily withstand wind, weather, weather, cold and rain. Before important missions and events, the Inca soldiers consumed a lot of maca to strengthen themselves.
Over time, maca became one of the most important foods in South America. The relevance of the maca tuber can be roughly compared to that of our potatoes. Like our local potatoes, maca can be processed into many other foods. The maca tuber, also known as Peruvian ginseng, is often boiled, baked and made into porridge. Mazamorra, a very sweet porridge in which the baked maca tuber is mixed with corn, water, milk and sugar, is popular. This dish is a well-known national dish in Peru and many other Latin American countries.
A few years ago, maca found its way to Europe - athletes in particular discovered the tubers for themselves. The dried powder can now be found more and more often in Germany and is considered a high-quality superfood.
The ingredients of maca
The unique thing about maca root is not only its characteristic, sweet and nutty taste, but also its special nutritional composition. Precisely because the nutritional value is so high, the inhabitants of Peru prefer to use the maca tuber instead of corn, rice or wheat.
A maca tuber consists of around 65% carbohydrates, 15% proteins and 9% fiber, 2.5% contains fats such as omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-9 (oleic acid), 4.5% is water and 4 % consist of a mineral and vitamin mixture with many different vital substances.
The mineral magnesium, the trace elements iron and zinc as well as the vitamins B3 and C characterize the maca tuber.
• Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential trace element for the human body and is particularly important for bones and muscles. The trace element can effectively reduce fatigue and contributes to electrolyte balance. If a magnesium deficiency occurs, you will often notice this through severe muscle cramps. 100 g of maca contains around 104 mg of magnesium. An adult needs around 300 to 350 g of magnesium per day.
• Eisen
In terms of quantity, iron is the most important trace element in the human body. It is essential for the formation of red blood cells and enables oxygen transport. Iron deficiency occurs in many people and is considered the most well-known deficiency symptom worldwide. This deficiency is characterized by fatigue and an increased susceptibility to infections. Since animal products such as meat and fish contain a lot of iron, maca is a good alternative for vegetarians. 100 g of maca powder contains around 15 mg of iron, which corresponds to the recommended daily amount of iron.
• Zink
Zinc is also a trace element and occurs in small amounts in the body. Nevertheless, this trace element is essential and plays an important role in many different processes. Zinc is needed for the normal functioning of the metabolism and plays an important role in maintaining normal testosterone levels in the blood. Impaired libido and fertility can therefore be signs of a zinc deficiency. A weakened immune system is also a symptom of a zinc deficiency. 100 g of maca contains 12 mg of zinc. Depending on age and gender, the daily requirement is 7 to 16 mg of zinc.
• Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is important for your body because it is involved in building connective tissue, protects cells from oxidative stress, contributes to normal energy metabolism and can reduce fatigue. Non-specific symptoms such as delayed wound healing often occur with a vitamin C deficiency. First and foremost, you can get enough vitamin C through fresh fruit and reach the recommended daily amount of 95 to 110 mg particularly quickly. Maca contains 3 mg per 100 g.
• Vitamin B3
The vitamin is also known as niacin and is an important vitamin from the B complex. Your body needs vitamin B3 for numerous metabolic processes, contributes to the normal functioning of energy metabolism and can reduce fatigue. A vitamin B3 deficiency occurs very rarely because your organism can produce the vitamin itself from the body's own substance tryptophan. However, it is still advisable to consume vitamin B3 through food orDietary supplements. The root contains 35 mg of vitamin B3 per 100 g of maca. The recommended daily amount of vitamin B3 is 11 to 16 mg.
Maca powder pure or capsules – the choice is yours!
While in Peru the maca root is available in almost every small farmer's shop or large supermarket, the whole tuber is only very rare in this country and can usually be found in Latin American supermarkets. The tuber is very difficult to transport from Peru to Germany because it can dry out quickly and therefore does not stay fresh. There is hardly any other growing area for Maca than in Peru, as the conditions for the plant in the Andes are perfect. It is difficult to simulate this special weather in other areas.
Maca is therefore often used in GermanyMaca Pulveroffered. The tuber is dried and ground. In terms of the composition of the ingredients, the powder does not differ at all from the tuber.
If you like it quickly and want to consume maca because of the vital substances, you can easily take maca capsules. Maca powder is ideal for your sporty cuisine. Pure, the taste of the powder takes a lot of getting used to, because maca tastes sweet, nutty and a bit spicy at the same time. However, if you mix Maca into your drinks or food, you can enjoy very special, refined and delicious dishes!
Do you still not know how best to process the maca powder? Then we have put together 3 quick recipes for you here:
1. Maca Smoothies – Fruity, sweet and light for every taste
You need:
• A handful of fruit according to your taste (e.g. a mix of berries, bananas, pears)
• 2 teaspoons maca powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa
• 1 squeeze of lime or lemon
• 200 ml milk, almond milk or soy milk
• 30 ml coffee or espresso
This is how it's done:
Cut large fruits such as bananas or pears into rough pieces. Now put all the other ingredients in a blender and mix vigorously until a creamy mixture is formed. The smoothie is ready.
You can refine this basic recipe as you wish. For example, add vanilla, turmeric, hemp seeds or chia seeds. Ice makes the smoothie something very special. Don't like cocoa or coffee? Then just skip it and add a few more fruits and a little more milk instead. You can customize the smoothie according to your taste. Enjoy it!
2. Homemade Maca Hummus – Delicious dip for fresh bread
You need:
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 3 tbsp sesame butter (also called tahini)
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of maca powder
• 100 ml cold water
• To refine and season: salt, pepper, cumin, paprika powder and olive oil
This is how it's done:
Drain the canned chickpeas in a colander. Puree the chickpeas finely and mix them with the sesame puree, lemon juice, garlic clove and maca powder. Then slowly mix the cold water into the mixture until a fluffy puree is formed. You can then refine the hummus with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika powder or olive oil as needed.
Then serve the hummus - it tastes particularly delicious with traditional pita bread, flatbread or fresh stone oven bread.
3. Maca bars – bars for an extra portion of energy
You need:
• 5 to 6 tablespoons of cocoa
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of maca powder
• 300g dates
• 300 g Cashewkerne
• 70g almonds
• 30 g grated coconut
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon water
• Various nuts such as cashews, walnuts, almonds
This is how it's done:
Mix the cocoa, maca, dates, cashews, almonds and coconut flakes and the pinch of salt in a blender. Then fold in the teaspoon of honey and the tablespoon of water to create a dough-like consistency.
Place the dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper. If you want, you can now spread a few whole nuts such as cashews, walnuts and almonds on top of the mixture. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Then cut the day into equal parts.
The snack is suitable for in between meals, before exercise or as a breakfast bar.
