It was rediscovered for commercial purposes at the Meseta de Bombón plateau close to Lake Junin in the late 1980s.

[1] It is grown for its fleshy hypocotyl that is fused with a taproot, which is typically dried but may also be freshly cooked as a root vegetable.

[5] The growth habit, size, and proportions of maca are roughly similar to those of radishes and turnips, to which it is related, but it also resembles a parsnip.

[6] Maca is the only member of the genus Lepidium with a fleshy hypocotyl, which is fused with the taproot to form a rough inverted pear-shaped body.

Specific phenotypes (in maca, 'phenotype' pertains mainly to root color) have been propagated exclusively to increase commercial interest.

[9] Maca (Peruvian ginseng) seedlings usually emerge about one month after sowing, with the onset of the rainy season in October.

The cultivated plants are selected for preferred size and color, then placed 50–100 mm deep in pits with alternate layers of grass and soil to protect them from drying out.

As maca grows on sites where no other crops can be cultivated, it is often found after long fallows of sheep grazing pastures.

[citation needed] The harvest is done manually, with the leaves left in the field as livestock feed or organic fertilizer.

Hypocotyls grown from Peruvian seeds form with difficulty at low elevations, in greenhouses, or warm climates.

The average composition, on a dry matter basis, is 60–75% carbohydrates (primarily as polysaccharides),[10] 10–14% protein, 8.5% dietary fiber, and 2.2% fats.

[12] The presence of (1R,3S)-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA) in the extracts of maca indicate a potential safety issue as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (re.

[12] Due to these potential mutagenic properties of MTCA, the Agency for Sanitary Security in France warned consumers about the possible health risks of powdered maca root, a declaration disputed on the assumption that MTCA would be deactivated by boiling to process maca roots.

[1][15] Market studies showed low acceptance of the particular maca taste by consumers when first exposed to it, creating a barrier for popularity of this food as a culinary vegetable.

The economic interest existed more in the perceived but unproven health effects of the root's constituents supplied as an extract in a dietary supplement.

The root can also be mashed and boiled to produce a sweet, thick liquid, then dried and mixed with milk to form a porridge, mazamorra.

The supplement industry uses both dry roots and maca flour for different types of processing and concentrated extracts.

Archaeological evidence exists for varying degrees of cultivation of maca in the Lake Junin region from around 1700 BC to 1200 AD.

Historically, maca was often traded for lowland tropical food staples, such as maize, rice, manioc (tapioca roots), quinoa, and papaya.

[21][22][23] A 2016 systematic review found evidence suggesting that it improves semen quality in healthy and infertile men.

[24] A 2011 systematic review found the evidence for the effectiveness of maca as a treatment for menopausal symptoms in women inconclusive.