History of Maca

These days, there are thousands of people who enjoy the many health and lifestyle benefits of maca. Couples use it as an aphrodisiac and libido enhancer to spice up their sex lives. Athletes use it for greater energy, stamina, and endurance. People with endocrine related disorders use it therapeutically to help them take control of their lives. These people would probably find it hard to believe that the maca plant almost went extinct in the 1970’s, and was saved only by the hard work and perseverance of the indigenous people of the Andes Mountains.

The  lepidium peruvianum plant, or maca, has an interesting history stretching back thousands of years, some say to the very dawn of civilization itself. What is certain is that the warrior tribes of the Amazon Jungle had domesticated the plant by 100 B.C. By 1470 A.D., the Yaro tribe was growing and harvesting hundreds of acres of maca root. By this time, had already become an integral part of the diet of the indigenous people. When the Incan civilization defeated and united the tribes in the region, the root of the maca plant was used by the people to pay tribute to the Incan kings. It was so prized for its aphrodisiac qualities that its use was restricted to members of the royal court. Eventually, its energy boosting and stamina enhancing qualities were also used to pump up Incan warriors before going off to battle.

Unfortunately, maca alone wasn’t enough to keep the Spanish conquistadores and their modern weaponry from invading and eventually colonizing the area in the mid-16th century. Because part of their mission was to spread the Christian faith, the Spanish deemed almost any foreign foods and grains to be either inferior or heretical because of their value in tribal ceremonies. They forced locals to stop planting most of their traditional crops, and focused instead on familiar foodstuffs such as corn, wheat, and maize. Despite their bias against local culture and traditions, the Spanish were still able to appreciate the value of maca root, so much so that they sent around 9 tons of it back to Spain as part of their tribute to their King. The Spanish court was so impressed by the plant’s many special properties that once again, its use was restricted to only to an elite few. Unfortunately, as time passed and the colonization of South America progressed, most of the local traditions were deliberately and systematically destroyed, and all Western knowledge of the maca plant disappeared.

In the centuries that followed, maca was grown in tiny patches of land, its existence known only by the local people who relied on it as a staple crop. It wasn’t until the late 20th century when the plant was rediscovered. Teams of scientists from Germany and the United States were exploring South America for medicinal herbs when they came across the plant in the 60’s and the 80’s. Despite the rediscovery, maca was still in danger. In the late 70’s the Department of Agriculture in Peru found that there were only 70 acres of maca being cultivated in the entire country. It was considered and endangered plant until 1992. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, researchers, and herbalists, maca’s health and nutritional benefits slowly entered the public’s consciousness, and demand gradually picked up. Today, thousands of hectares of maca thrive once again on the altiplano of the Andes Mountains, tended by the same indigenous people who have fought for centuries to keep this part of their heritage alive. Their fields now supply the world’s ever growing demand for this potent functional food.

In support and recognition of their efforts, Hidalgo Foods has chosen to source its maca powder from these farmers, who grow maca all naturally and organically, without the use of any GMOs, or other artificial chemicals.