Oca Variety Comparisons

This is a quick reference to oca varieties by flavor, yield, and tuber size.

Yield categories are Low (1 pound or less), Intermediate (between 1 and 2 pounds), and High (2 pounds or more).

Rows in red indicate varieties that are known to carry viruses.  I recommend not growing these varieties, even if you obtained them here.  More details may be available on the variety pages.

Variety Tartness
Sweetness Photoperiod Yield Max Tuber Size Tuber Count
Adele 2 – Moderate 0 – None 13 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 30-40
Amarillo 1 – Low 2 – Moderate 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Apilla 1 – Low 1 – Low 12.5 hr 1 – Low 5+ in 30-40
BK08516.7 0 – None 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 4 – 5 in 30-40
BK08516.8 0 – None 2 – Moderate 12 hr 1 – Low 2 – 3 in 20-
Black 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Blood Red 2 – Moderate 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Bolivian Red 0 – None 2 – Moderate 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 3 – 4 in 30-40
Cherry Red 1 – Low 0 – None 12.5 hr 3 – High 5+ in 40+
Crema de Rosa 1 – Low 1 – Low 12 hr 1 – Low 2 – 3 in 20-
Golden 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Hopin 3 – High 0 – None 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 20-30
Hyak 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 5+ in 20-30
Longview 0 – None 2 – Moderate 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 30-40
Manzana 1 – Low 1 – Low 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Mexican Red 2 – Moderate 3 – High 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 30-40
Mocrocks 2 – Moderate 2 – Moderate 13 hr 3 – High 4 – 5 in 40+
NZ Heirloom #3 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 30-40
NZ Heirloom Red 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 20-
OE Blush 1 – Low 1 – Low 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 3 – 4 in 20-30
OE Orange 1 – Low 1 – Low 12 hr 1 – Low 2 – 3 in 20-
Paloquemao 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 1 – Low 2 – 3 in 20-
Pascou 1 – Low 2 – Moderate 12 hr 1 – Low 3 – 4 in 20-30
Pink Dragon 1 – Low 1 – Low 13 hr 3 – High 5+ in 30-40
Puka Ñawi 1 – Low 0 – None 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 3 – 4 in 20-30
Redshift 0 – None 0 – None 12.5 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 30-40
Siwash 3 – High 1 – Low 12.5 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 30-40
Sockeye 2 – Moderate 0 – None 13 hr 3 – High 4 – 5 in 30-40
Sunset 1 – Low 2 – Moderate 12.5 hr 3 – High 5+ in 20-30
Twilight 1 – Low 2 – Moderate 12 hr 2 – Intermediate 4 – 5 in 20-30
White 3 – High 0 – None 12 hr 3 – High 4 – 5 in 20-30
White Salmon 1 – Low 2 – Moderate 13 hr 3 – High 4 – 5 in 30-40
Wishkah 1 – Low 1 – Low 13 hr 3 – High 5+ in 20-30

 

6 thoughts on “Oca Variety Comparison Chart

  1. Correy Lai says:

    Hi, I harvested some Oca this week. They are super cute and beautiful. I want to know the oca you carry are the sour one or the sweet one? I saw online, that the sour one need to soak in water for a month to dilute the oxalate acid because they contain super high. How can I cook them? Any recommendations? Thanks.

    • bill says:

      All of our ocas fall into the sweet category, which simply means that they don’t require processing. Many of them are somewhat sour in flavor, but below the level of oxalate that would be considered a “sour oca”. As far as I know, there are no examples of sour/processing ocas available in the USA. You can basically cook them any way that you would cook a potato and you can also eat them raw. Because they dry out more easily than potatoes, I find that they are usually better with wet cooking methods. Slow cooking with meat or other vegetables is my preference.

    • bill says:

      Oca is generally high in iron. None of the varieties that I offer have gone through nutritional analysis, so I don’t know how they vary individually.

  2. Jonathan Smith says:

    Bill, are any of your oca varieties more tolerant than others of the hot summers that I have here in Pennsylvania Dutch country?

    • bill says:

      Customers have reported that Redshift and Longview are a bit more tolerant of high temperatures than other varieties. But that’s relative. I wouldn’t describe any of them as particularly heat tolerant.

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