View Single Post
  #1   Report Post  
Old 22-08-2006, 04:53 PM
echinosum echinosum is offline
Registered User
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2006
Location: Chalfont St Giles
Posts: 1,340
Default Anyone tried to grow ahipa, or seen seeds?

Ahipa or Ajipa (Pachyrhizus ahipa) is a close relative of the yam bean or jícama (Pachyrhizus erosus). It has large roots with a thin grey skin, which is taken off to reveal white flesh with purple fibres. Having eaten it regularly in Bolivia, I can say it is delicious.

Apart from its taste, the reason I would like to try it is that it is more cold tolerant and less day-length sensitive than P. erosus, which I don't think does too well at cool temperate latitudes. As far as I can tell, its cultivation is limited to Bolivia, where I have seen fields as high as 3300m (11,000 ft) which the locals told me were for growing it, though I read something which suggested it had been introduced to the West Indies. Has anyone tried it, or seen any seeds available?