Sacha Inchi, Inca Peanut
When a strange, exotic, star-shaped edible charms its way into becoming a dietary staple…
I was first introduced to sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) through Imlak’esh Organics. The claim of these seeds as a superfood is backed by their impressive omega 3 and omega 6 content and ratio, contents of oleic acid (of olive oil fame), and high protein content. They are known as a health food in South American countries, where the oil is often used. Studies have hinted at medicinal roles, as well. This brief introduction seems disrespectful to a plant with a long history with humans and a food source with superb nutritional measurements. Not being an sacha inchi expert, I’ll leave you to your own research. Instead, I’ll tell you about my experiences working with this amazing plant. In this post I’ll describe how I grow and process Sacha inchi seeds, and in the next post I’ll focus on using sacha inchi with chocolate.
The sacha inchi seeds Imlak’esh Organics sells are heavily roasted and salted. I tasted them over 10 years ago, but I think I remember noticing the slight fishy flavor some people have pointed out, possibly explained by their high omega 3 content. (Don’t let that scare you away; I don’t detect any oceanic flavors in the seeds I harvest.) Imlak’esh‘s seeds were a satisfying novel food experience but too expensive for me for regular consumption.
When my friends Carol and Hillery posted a video of what they call Inca peanut, I was so excited. Ever generous, they presented me with a plant. I placed the precious seedling under a feral coffee tree and was plucking fruit about a year later.
This robust vine in the Euphorbiaceae family is from Peru, where it is now sadly endangered. Sacha inchi seeds are easily sprouted, both intentionally in pots and as volunteers underneath the vine. These keiki transplant fine. I read that sacha inchi isn’t too picky about growing conditions, but it does like lots of water. It requires a scaffold to grow; the best choice is a low bush or fence where the fruits can be easily harvested. The vine starts slowly but soon picks up speed and grows vigorously. I suspect the first vine I planted may end up killing its scaffold coffee tree in a few years. Sacha inchi flowers grow on spikes, offering one female flower with minute star-shaped ovary at the base and reaching out with lots of tiny, white male flowers. The plant is self-fertile, and once fertilized the ovaries expand: glossy and green. They turn dark then split as they dry to reveal the edges of 4-6 seeds coated in light brown husks. Harvest when the fruits start to darken or after they’ve dried on the vine. If picked before they have dried, leave the pods to mature before processing the seeds.
This slight pull back of the outer husk reveal of a sliver of the inner husk brings to mind an image of a striptease, and this metaphor can be expanded to refer to the layers that need to be shed to reach the naked, cream-colored edible kernel. There are three: the dark brown outer husk, the light brown inner husk, and a dark shell. Requiring a couple of tools and a mid-process roast, sacha inchi’s fruit is a bit of a puzzle box. I am grateful to Victoria of Wild Cane Chocolate in Panama who kindly clued me in.
The outer husk is easily removed when dry, just peel it off with your fingers. Or you may find you don’t need to remove it. The inner husk requires a tool of some kind. I pry it open using a slight twist from a paring knife fit into a vulnerable spot near the attachment site. I then roast the shelled seed. Before roasting the seeds are inedible.
Once cooled, I use a hammer to gently tap the edge of the shell, which pops open to release the seed, sometimes whole and sometimes halved. At this point the seeds are edible. Generally people will roast them again, usually with oil and salt or other seasoning. This extra roast makes them super delicious. I double roasted my first few batches, but then I unfortunately discovered research studies like this one warning that only gentle heat should be applied to preserve the nutritional integrity. Sadly, I care more about nutrition than deliciousness, but I know not everyone is hampered by this compulsion.
I currently roast the seeds in the shells at 250°F for 20 minutes and don’t add a second roast after removing the shells. If I want them deliciously crunchy and salty, I toss the seeds briefly in a brine (1 teaspoon sea salt dissolved in 1 cup of water), drain, then dehydrate by stirring them on a dry pan on low heat.
Peanutish nuttiness is how I when describe the flavor. Perhaps they taste like a peanut crossed with a macadamia nut? When roasted more deeply, the peanut flavor becomes more pronounced. This flavor profile is excellent for people allergic to nuts and also for making a locally-ground nut (and seed) butter cup, which I will describe in my next post.
The salty, crunchy seeds as prepared using the protocol described above are delicious coated in dark chocolate. The chocolate brings out the best of the roast nut flavor in the sacha inchi seeds, and the textural contrast of smooth chocolate and crunchy chunk is classic for good reason. Did I mention crunchy? Oh yes I have, and with good reason. It’s an uncommon kind of crunchy, lighter than a nut and very crispy.
If these seeds have a fault, it may be a slightly chalky texture. This may bother some, but I expect a minority. The unusual texture is actually a refreshing addition to a trail mix with nuts and dried fruits.
When ground down in a spice grinder (and I assume the chocolate melanger but I haven’t yet tried), the seeds easily release their oils to form a substance the consistency between tahini and almond butter. The oil has a tendency to separate a bit after grinding. The impression of sacha inchi butter, with its slight chalkiness, is quite a lot like tahini, and I made a pretty good halva using it. I have yet to try using it as the tahini portion in hummus, but I expect good results.
Delicious with chocolate and claiming outstanding nutritional credentials, sacha inchi is one of my favorite plants when looking toward a diet sourced mostly from our yard. I’ve read that the leaves are also edible and nutritious, so this starry puzzle vine has more secrets to explore.
Have you tried sacha inchi? Let us know about your experience! I’m happy to answer questions about the process. Would you like to see videos of the processing steps?
Hi, thanks for sharing. I'm so glad I found your page. I would like to see video on the processing steps. Hope you can share with me. I've grown a few wine at the backyard and harvested the fruits too but puzzled how to process it.