Tropaeolum tuberosum (mashua, see below for other names) is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, grown in the Andes, particularly in Peru and Bolivia, and to a lesser extent in Ecuador as well as in some areas of Colombia, for its edible tubers, which are eaten cooked or roasted as a vegetable.

Father Bernabé Cobo records that in the 16th century, the Inca used to give enormous amounts of mashua to their troops so that they would forget their wives.

[8] However, mashua tubers roasted in traditional earthen field ovens, built at harvest, are considered a delicacy.

Also, the raw tubers can be shredded thinly and added to salads to confer a spicy flavor and crunchy texture.

Still, it has ornamental value in the temperate zone because of its trailing habit and showy, bi-colored tubular flowers, which appear in summer and autumn.

[11] It has been recorded by the Spanish chronicler Cobo that mashua was fed to their armies by the Inca Emperors, "that they should forget their wives".

[3][12] Studies of male rats fed on mashua tubers have shown a 45% drop in testosterone levels due to the presence of isothiocyanates.

[13] Topical mashua in a 1% gel formulation has proven to increase the healing activities of open wounds in mice populations.

[15] It has a remarkable protein profile with a considerable abundance of essential amino acids in an ideal ratio, providing a high biological value.

[18] Dietary fiber content is supposed to have beneficial health effects and help relieve functional constipation, a common gastrointestinal problem in children.

A study conducted by Coloma et al. in 2022 found that the vitamin C levels in yellow mashua tubers range from 0.53 to 1.54 mg/g dry matter.

The tubers that display both yellow and purple hues demonstrate a considerably higher vitamin C concentration, with a range of 0.9 to 3.36 mg/g dry matter.

[18] An important aspect of mashua’s appeal lies in its rich mineral composition, which, as the vitamin content, also varies according to the cultivation site and genotype.

Conversely, these tubers possess only negligible quantities of potassium and phosphorus, and their zinc levels are comparatively lower.