Hello! Try to guess what kind of nut this young man
is trying to crack. Probably, not everyone will be able to guess it, since the homeland
of this unusual nut is South America and you will not find it in our stores. And this nut
is called SACHA INCHI. This fruit has traditionally been eaten in
Latin America since ancient times. Artifacts depicting the fruit of the saccha inchi and
the vine have been found in Inca burials on the Peruvian coast, suggesting that the plant
may have been cultivated by the Incas 3,000 to 5,000 years ago. In the language of the
Quechua Indian people, the name of the nut means, sacha is a tree or whether a bush,
and inchi is translated as a nut or a seed, so sacha inchi literally means "tree nut".
Since it was traditionally eaten by the indigenous peoples of Peru, it is sometimes also called
mountain peanut or Inca nut. Although the fruit itself is not usually consumed,
the seeds are fried and eaten. They are also crushed into fine powder and added to foods.
In addition, oil is extracted from the seeds and used in cooking or skin care products.
In addition, the leaves of the plant can be dried and brewed to make herbal tea. We will
tell about all this in our video.
Sacha Inchi grows in the rainforests of the South American Andes. It is rightfully called
Amazonian, as it is found in many regions of South America. These are Suriname, Venezuela,
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northwestern Brazil. Peru is the largest walnut producer
with an estimated annual production of 1200 tons of seeds. Today, production in Peru continues
to grow rapidly. New plantations are created here every year. Various varieties are cultivated
in the country, the best of which are used for the industrial production of vegetable
oil, medical and cosmetic products, and food products.
But these are only the regions from which it originated. However, Sacha Inchi is still
cultivated in about 20 different countries. Sacha Inchi is commercially cultivated in
Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. Thus, the climate of northern Thailand is very similar
to that of the Amazon. Heavy and constant rainfall allows the plant to grow well. The
walnut is also grown in North America, particularly in the Caribbean.
What does Sacha Inchi look like? It is a perennial herb that resembles an anise in shape and
belongs to the Euphorbia family. It can grow up to two meters in height. Sacha Inchi grows
on the edges of a low-lying humid forest and loves a warm climate very much. The plant
is grown in acidic, loamy and alluvial soils near rivers, but it can also grow in mountains
at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level with good moisture and drainage. Comfortable
growing temperature from 10 to 37 degrees Celsius.
The total biomass and weight of fruits increases significantly with irrigation during the dry
season, although the quality of the seeds and oil composition are maintained during
the dry season. Average yields range from about 150-750 kg per hectare, depending on
the season and the irrigation and fertilization patterns used.
In tropical places, Sacha Inchi resembles an ordinary vine, somewhat similar to our
grapes. But unlike grapes, the plant produces edible seeds almost all year round. The vine
can produce crops for fifty to seventy years. Farmers grow Sacha Inchi on their plantations
using poles and wires to support the vines, similar to how grapes are grown. Some of them
came up with the idea of growing Sacha Inchi on the trunks of old trees. For this, abandoned
farms are used, where instead of carrying out expensive measures to remove tree trunks,
young walnut plants are planted at their base. Such plants grow and become more dense than
a vine stretched along a wire. The sacha inchi plant has heart-shaped leaves
10-12 cm long. They sprout all over the vine. Leaves and plants can be harvested and dried
to make healthy tea. The leaves contain omega 3,6,9 fats, which allow you to saturate the
diet with these beneficial substances. The plant blooms five months after planting.
Buds initially appear anywhere along the vine. The first to bloom are male flowers, and then
female ones. Small flowers form a stem 10 to 15 centimeters long. Like all flowers,
they are important to the life cycle of plants because they attract bees for pollination.
Small white male flowers are collected in bunches. In this case, two female flowers
are located at the base of the inflorescence. After flowering ends, fruit formation begins.
At first, they look like green fleshy stars with a diameter of three to five centimeters,
and then gradually, as they mature, they turn copper-brown or black and crack. When the
fruit is fully ripe, it falls off the vine. This occurs approximately 8 months after planting.
Thus, the fruit grows in the shape of a star-shaped fruit pod.
It is by its star-shaped fruits that this nut is most recognizable. The fruit consists
of an outer shell containing seeds, each of which is covered with a shell. In total, the
fruit contains from four to seven seeds. Indeed, in fact, nuts are biconvex seeds, approximately
1.8 by 0.8 and 1.6 cm in size. They are hard, brown in color, with dark brown markings.
It just so happened that historically they came to be called nuts.
The outer shell of the Sacha Inchi fruit is a tough fibrous coating. It cannot be removed
manually without using tools. For this, a mechanical peeler is used, it allows you to
remove the shell without damaging the seeds. A dark hard shell also covers each seed. This
shell is also removed mechanically and reveals a white seed with a delicate peanut-bean aroma.
The seeds contain 22 to 30% protein and have antioxidant properties. They are extremely
similar to almonds. This is probably why they began to be called nuts. Raw seeds are inedible
because they contain toxins. However, to make the seeds edible, they should be lightly roasted.
Each seed has its own flavor. This is because different areas of the jungle have unique
microclimate. Just as wine connoisseurs can taste the special terroir of a bottle, it
is also possible to appreciate the unique growing conditions of each particular seed.
Harvested even from young plants. Usually, by the age of two, the plant can collect up
to a hundred pieces of nuts at a time. It turns out that one plant can produce from
400 to 500 seeds per year. Due to its excellent nutritional composition and good agronomic
properties, in recent years it has attracted more and more attention and its cultivation
area is constantly expanding. This came after the plant was found to produce higher yields
per hectare than other plants that are used to produce oils and proteins for human consumption.
For indigenous local farmers in the Amazon jungle, Sacha Inchi is an alternative to illegal
crops of coca or corn. After all, Sacha Inchi is a perennial crop that produces seeds all
year round and can grow on previously cut areas, which contributes to reforestation.
Harvesting "sacha inchi", when used for any purpose, usually occurs when the fruit or
capsules turn dark brown or ash black. The collection of capsules with nuts is done by
hand, as they are easily torn off. However, the lack of mechanical means of harvesting
is holding back production growth. Typically, when harvesting is complete, immature
capsules are found that are still green in color. Thus, the vine bears fruit all year
round. Therefore, as the fruits ripen, the harvest is harvested continuously every 15
days. The harvested nuts are immediately sent to
dry in the sun to avoid fungal attack. The oil content in nuts is 49 to 53%, and the
protein content is 33%. The seeds contain heat-sensitive substances with a bitter taste.
Today, nuts are the product with the highest omega-3 fat content, reaching 50%, which is
17 times the omega-3 content of salmon. After the extraction of the oil, a flour is obtained,
which is technically called pomace and is characterized by a high protein content, reaching
60%. Thus, it is the highest protein food known today.
For these reasons, it is considered a breakthrough superfood in the food, cosmetic, nutraceutical
and chemical industries due to its natural ingredients.
It has become interesting for vegetarians looking for an alternative source of protein
and omega-3, as well as a large number of people who are faced with high cholesterol
levels due to unhealthy diets. In 2013, the European Union approved the use
of Sacha Inchi oil in food. More and more companies from Peru are actively promoting
sacha inchi in Europe. The demand for oil in the food industry has exceeded the demand
for cosmetics. This will likely lead to a further increase in demand from the cosmetics
sector. The demand for sacha inchi is growing not
only in Europe. In the US and Asia, there is a surge in consumer interest in both seeds
and oil. Walnut plantations are usually established
from seeds, which turn into seedlings in a few weeks. The seeds are distributed in turn,
at a depth of 3 cm and at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Once planted, Sacha Inchi
grows to about a meter in length for the first months or two. Flowers will appear soon after.
The plant requires regular pruning as this promotes growth and higher yields. The vine
continues to grow and reaches maturity in about 2 years. The amount of water and soil
edaphology affect the rate and type of plant growth.
The nut is consumed in three forms. The first, which does not cause any doubts, is ordinary
roasted Sacha Inchi seeds. Roasted seeds have a mild, nutty flavor and can be used as a
simple on-the-go snack. You can also substitute them for other nuts in your diet and add them
to salads, muesli, or granola. The nut flavor does not overwhelm the flavor
of other foods when used together, but it does provide the added benefit of being high
in Omega. Nuts can be used to prepare a variety of dishes and add to baked goods. Canned food
is also made from them, closing in sealed jars with marinade, garlic and hot peppers.
Simply put, everything that is customary to do with ordinary nuts can be cooked with them.
The second form of consumption is Sacha Inchi oil. It contains the largest amount of alpha-linolenic
acid, up to 50%, in terms of its level, the oil can be compared with flaxseed oil. So
it can claim to be the richest omega-3 oil. For a healthy diet, this is the way to go.
The oil helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system, normalizes the level of lipids in
the blood, protects against inflammation, and has a pronounced anti-aging effect.
It is obtained by the method of cold pressing from seeds - it is this method of preparing
the oil that allows it to preserve the greatest amount of vitamins and valuable microelements
in it. But in some peasant settlements located in the Andes, near the Valley of the Incas,
women still grind the fruits of Sacha Inchi or Inca Inchi by hand. The accumulating liquid
mass is collected in vessels, defended, filtered. The oil obtained by hand is considered the
most environmentally friendly and "healthy". Sacha Inchi oil has a slight scent of green
nuts and a pale yellow color. In most cases, nut oil is applied topically. It is added
to a variety of skin and hair care products. The composition of the oil contains a high
percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. The cake formed during the
extraction of oil is used in the preparation of feed for young fish of red tilapia.
Sacha Inchi nuts can also be ground into powder, which serves as a bioadditive to natural dairy
products - yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir. This powder is very finely ground and has
a light beige color. And his smell and taste is absolutely peanut, maybe only a little
more delicate. It is recommended to add sacha inchi powder to smoothies, yoghurts, cereals,
drinks and baked goods. This powder is a great addition to a protein shake after exercise.
For this reason, it is ideal for supporting muscle growth and recovery after intense training.
It is also added to confectionery, for example, to chocolate.
With the increasing awareness and popularity of Sacha Inchi
in international markets, several new products or products under different brands have become
available in recent years, such as gourmet butter, protein powder and encapsulated oil
sold as nutritional supplements. Thanks to its skin-friendly ingredients, Sacha
Inchi can now also be found in a variety of beauty products such as face and body creams
and wash gels. There is a legend about the beneficial properties
of the walnut that tells how women of the Mauruna, Kampas, Whitota Shipiba, Yagua and
Bora tribes mixed Sacha Inchi oil with flour and the resulting cream was used to preserve
youth and fortify the skin, so even older women had smooth and healthy skin that showed
no signs of aging. And the Indians of the Sequoia, Amuesha, Kashibo,
and Bora tribes eat roasted Sacha Inchi nuts to recuperate and supply energy for hard work.
They rub their bodies with the oil of this plant
to treat muscular and rheumatic pains. The list of medical merit of the Inca peanuts
goes on. Walnut is a prophylactic agent against heart attack and thrombosis, lowers cholesterol
levels, helps to lose weight and reduce intestinal inflammation, keeps female hormones at the
required level. Peruvian doctors recommend eating five seeds or a tablespoon of Inchi
oil in the morning on an empty stomach for an energizing day.
However, the nut has contraindications, its excessive consumption increases the blood
sugar content.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the Sacha Inchi nut, unlike its peanut, almond,
pistachio and other nut relatives, does not contain allergens!