PERUVIAN FOOD AND NATURAL PRODUCTS

Here we want to offer you a small guide of tipical products and food of Peru. We also want to show the world, some natural products who grow in Peruvian soil, wich in many cases, are use to cure some medical problems.

THE LUCUMA

Origin:
The Lúcumo whose botanical denomination is obovata Lúcuma
H.B.K. is an original fruit tree of the Andean area. In this scope
still are ecotipos of lúcumo that they grow of wild way in Peruvian territory. Lúcumo is a arboreal species, of the family of the sapotáceas and of I generate Lúcuma.

Antecedents:
According to cronist and historians, the use of lúcuma comes from times previous to the Incanato, the same one that is demonstrated in images molded in huacos of the Mochica culture, the same one that was developed in the North Coast of Peru. This corroborates an ancestral advantage like part of the nutritional diet in those and other populations that were based in localities of the coast and mountain range of Peru.

Zone of production:
The greater concentration of this fruit tree is in the departments of Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Ancash, Moquegua and Lima, all in Peru. Its natural habitat is the low mountain range, but it very well practically prospers from the level of the sea to the 3.000 meters of altitude, with temperatures of 8 to 27 degrees Celsius and humidity from 80% to 90%.

Characteristics of the Fruit: The fruit is a berry spherical, conically or compressed basal, with exocarpio or thin rind of bronzed green or yellow color, generally in the apical part, surrounded by a silverplated dark brown coloration. Mesocarpio is of flavor and very pleasant aroma, intense yellow color, harinosa texture, and of smooth consistency. Endocarpio that surrounds to the seed is thin and yellow clear.

Flour of Lúcuma: Lúcuma finely crushed is a flour of golden yellow color, of sweet flavor and rough texture. In Peru the pulp of lúcuma has come industrializing under the form from flour, employee in heladería, pastry shop and repostería (they flan, merengados,
pudding, natillas and mazamorras, frozen cream, etc), mainly.

Nutricional Content: The fresh product is the fruit pulp (mesocarpio free of rind and pepas), with its original amount of water without undergoing some method of processing.

Lúcuma has a high nutricional value, is good carbohydrate source, rich in minerals and vitamins.