These include illaco (in Aymara), melloco (in Ecuador), chungua or ruba (in Colombia), olluco or papa lisa (in Bolivia and Peru), or ulluma (in Argentina).

[1][2] Ulluco is one of the most widely grown and economically important root crops in the Andean region of South America, second only to the potato.

[5] The scrambling herbaceous plant grows up to 50 cm (20 in) high and forms starchy tubers below ground.

Due to the brightly coloured waxy skin in a variety of yellows, pinks and purples, ullucus tubers are regarded as one of the most striking foods in the Andean markets.

[1] Biological material from several coastal Peruvian archaeological sites have been found to contain starch grains and xylem of the ulluco plant, suggesting domestication occurred between the central Andes of Peru and Bolivia.

[2] Illustrations and representations of ulluco on wooden vessels (keros), ceramic urns and sculptures have been used to date the presence and importance of these tubers back to 2250 BC.

[9] Although it lost some importance due to the influx of European vegetables following the Spanish conquest in 1531, Ulluco still remains a staple crop in the Andean regions.

[10] Ullucos are cultivated for their edible tubers by subsistence farmers in high-altitude farming systems around 2,500 to 4,000 m (8,200 to 13,100 ft) above sea level.

The tubers are usually eaten in indigenous soups and stews, but more contemporary dishes incorporate them into salads along with the ulluco leaves.

These tubers have been eaten in the Andean populations since ancient times and still to this day provide an important protein, carbohydrate and vitamin C source to people living in the high altitude mountainous regions of South America.

In order to increase their shelf life, a typical product is produced by the Quechua and Aymara communities in Peru called chuño or lingli.

This is produced via a process involving environmental freezing and drying which is usually then ground into a fine flour and added to cooked foods.

They prefer cooler climates and will produce much better yields in full sun where summer temperatures are relatively cool.

Indigenous Andean farmers regularly grow a large number of different cultivars of ulluco together in the same fields.

There are fumigants available to fight Verticillium, or, for organic farmers, annual rotations into soil that has not been infected for 2–3 years.

However, the ullucus has high genetic diversity, in terms of color, protein content, and tuber yield.

[17] Considering that the reproduction of the species is vegetative and that the production and use of the germination of botanical seeds is very rare, morphological diversity of the ulluco can be seen as high.

The main characteristics that determine the choice of farmers for cultivars are sweetness, storage capacity before consumption, mucilage content and yield.

Fresh tubers of ulluco are a valuable source of carbohydrates, comparable to one of the most world spread root crop, the potato.

But there is also a significant amount of mucilage, a heterogeneous and complex polysaccharide that is recognized as a type of soluble fiber.

Soaked in water or cut very finely are methods used to remove the greatest amount of mucilage from raw tubes,.

[22] In South America, ulluco tubers with high mucilage content are popular for soups because they add a thicker texture.

In comparison to the three other Andean tuber crops - native potato, oca, and mashua - the antioxidant capacity of the ulluco is low.