The Chinese ocumo (Colocasia esculenta), originally from Asia, is a tropical plant that is used mainly as a vegetable, offers excellent properties and benefits, which makes it an excellent option to replace the potato and accompany it with chicken, meat, fish, in soups, etc. It is rich in dietary fiber and has a high content of vitamins such as: group B (especially B6), vitamin C, E and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.
Depending on the country in which we find ourselves, its name varies:
- In Venezuela it is the only part that is known as the Chinese ocumo.
- Dominican Republic is known as yautía coco.
- Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Spain and Cuba as malanga.
- Mexico as macal and queiquexque.
- Peru as bituca or pituca.
- Costa Rica as ñampí.
- Korea is called toran.
- In some places in the south it is onkucha or unkucha.
- Nicaragua as quequisque or quiquisque.
- Canary Islands and Colombia as ñamera.
- Panama as a gandua.
- Ecuador as a Chinese Pope.
- Bolivia as a baluse pope.
- South Africa as madumbe.
It is a traditional food in many tropical areas of the world. The main producing countries are: China Nigeria, Ghana, China, Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire.
Benefits:
- It is rich in dietary fiber.
- It helps to strengthen the immune system.
- It decreases cholesterol levels and hypertension.
- Ideal to take care of our cardiovascular health.
- Improves circulation and blood pressure.
- Beneficial for the digestive system.
- Among others.
Chinese ocumo cultivation.
It is recommended to cultivate in the month of March.
Its cultivation occurs in warm, humid and shaded lands.
The soil has to be carefully prepared without the presence of stones or other plants that attract pests.
The seed or suckers should be sown at a depth of 15 cm and 1 meter between plants.
Water is plentifully watered every day, but we must avoid puddles.
Eliminate the weeds that grow around them since these interfere with their good development.
The harvesting is done manually with the help of certain tools (machete and hoe), usually between eight and ten months after sowing, depending on the particular soil conditions, humidity and the care given to the plants.