Oca (not okra!) is probably not a vegetable that is top of the list for most growers perhaps, but it’s one I would recommend trying. They have a potato texture with a hint of lemon, though different varieties have subtly different tastes. I like them roasted as they just melt in your mouth as you bite into them, but you can also grate them and add them to salads.
I grew these in pots, though you will get a better crop if you grow them directly in to the soil. Grow them as you would potatoes (50cm/20in) apart, though unlike potatoes you don’t need to earth them up. Like potatoes, planting one tuber will produce lots more and these can be harvested in late autumn. Note the tubers only start to form when the days become shorter.
For more information and to buy oca tubers:
[email protected]
www.ocabreeders.org
www.realseeds.co.uk/unusualtubers.html
www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk
