5 Andean Superfoods You've Never Heard Of

May 7, 2026

Beyond maca and quinoa

If you've heard of one Peruvian superfood, it's probably maca. If two, quinoa. The actual list of Andean foods that pack serious nutrition is much longer than that, and most of them haven't made it to American grocery stores. Here are five that should have.

1. Yacon

A root vegetable that tastes like sweet apple and grows in the Andes. Yacon's claim to fame is fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of dietary fiber that feeds gut bacteria without raising blood sugar. The root gets pressed into syrup that you can use like honey or maple, except it has roughly 1/3 the calories and a low glycemic impact.

People with prediabetes, insulin sensitivity issues, or anyone trying to cut sugar without losing the sweet experience tend to like it. Try our Yacon Syrup.

2. Camu Camu

The vitamin C bomb of the Amazon. Per gram, Camu Camu has roughly 30-60x more vitamin C than oranges, plus the polyphenol package that synthetic vitamin C tablets can't replicate. It's almost always sold as a freeze-dried powder or capsule because the raw berry is too sour to enjoy.

If you take vitamin C for immune support, replace the synthetic tablet with whole-food Camu Camu. Better absorption, better cofactors.

3. Sacha Inchi

A nut-like seed from the Amazon, sometimes called Inca peanut. It's roughly 50% protein and over 60% omega-3 fatty acids, one of the highest plant sources of omega-3 you'll find. Roasted and salted, it tastes like a softer, slightly bitter peanut.

(We don't currently carry Sacha Inchi but it's worth knowing about.)

4. Lúcuma

A subtropical fruit with creamy, dense yellow flesh that tastes like a cross between sweet potato, butterscotch, and maple. Used as a natural sweetener in Peruvian desserts. It has a low glycemic index and is rich in beta-carotene, iron, and zinc.

Lúcuma powder is a great natural sweetener for smoothies and yogurts.

5. Tarwi (Andean Lupin)

An ancient Andean legume with one of the highest protein contents of any plant, roughly 40% protein by weight. The Inca grew it alongside quinoa and corn. It's slowly making a comeback as people look for plant proteins that aren't soy.

Try our Tarwi Chocho powder for high-protein smoothies and baking.

Why these don't get the attention they deserve

Mostly distribution. The Andes are far. The plants don't grow well at sea level. Industrial agriculture hasn't figured out how to scale them efficiently. So they stay regional, which is partly why they're still genetically diverse and nutritionally dense, ironically.