Organic Black Maca Powder

Recommended use: Stir 10 g (1 measuring spoon) into smoothies, shakes, yogurt, or muesli daily and consume.

Important notes: Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet and lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated recommended daily intake. Keep out of reach of small children.

Allergens: According to the raw material specification, no allergens subject to labeling requirements are contained in accordance with Annex II of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011.

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place, do not freeze, and protect from direct sunlight.

Raw or gelatinized

With maca powder, there is a distinction that is missing on many packages and yet makes the biggest difference. Raw powder is simply dried tuber ground into a powder. Gelatinized powder has additionally been treated with heat and pressure, which breaks down the starch.

This has nothing to do with gelatin; it refers to the starch gelatinizing, as happens when a potato is cooked. Gelatinized maca is darker, dissolves better, and tastes less floury. In the Andes, maca is never eaten raw anyway, but always cooked.

What the nutritional values say about the tuber

With 48.9 g of carbohydrates and 23.4 g of fiber per 100 g, maca is exactly what it is botanically: a starch-rich storage tuber. In terms of composition, dried maca is therefore closer to dried potato than to a herb or a berry.

What is remarkable is the protein content of 16.3 g. For a root tuber, that is a lot; dried potato is well below that. The math works out neatly: using the official conversion factors for fat, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, you get exactly the declared 1,324 kilojoules.

Why it tastes malty

The flavor develops during the weeks-long drying process. Some of the starch turns into sugar, which combines with protein building blocks to create the typical malty roasted notes. The radish-like sharpness of the fresh tuber is largely lost in the process.

That is why maca goes well in the kitchen with anything in that direction: cocoa, banana, oats, nut butter, date. It goes poorly with citrus fruits or clear juices. If you are trying it for the first time, it is better to start with a level teaspoon; the aroma is stronger than its pale color suggests.

Why organic matters especially for a root

Roots and tubers absorb whatever is dissolved in the soil and store it throughout the entire growing period. With leaves and fruits, contact with the soil is much shorter and more indirect.

That is why heavy metal testing for every batch is mandatory for root products, and why organic certification is more than just a label here. It is not only the fields that are certified, but also the drying areas and the mill. Inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039, agriculture outside the EU.