Mashua, Copalis

Copalis is a Cultivariable original variety, introduced in 2015.  I selected this from several dozen open pollinated seedlings of the variety Blanca as the one with the mildest flavor.  It isn’t the most exciting looking variety, but if you want to make mashua a regular part of your diet, it’s a good choice.

Culinary Traits

Copalis is a great beginner mashua, as it has a very mild flavor.  It is slightly sweet with almost no cabbagey flavor and the flesh holds together at typical cooking duration (30 minutes at 350 degrees F for large tubers).  I find this one is even palatable raw in salads as long as you don’t overdo it.  The tubers are white with pink eyes and do not darken when cooked.

Agronomic Traits

Early to emerge in the spring.  Plants are very tall on trellis, similar to its parent, Blanca.  High yielding.  Big, tangled root balls that don’t pull up easily.  You will probably need fork or shovel to harvest.  Tubers form early but don’t bulk up rapidly, so it needs a mild fall to reach its maximum.  This is a fall flowering variety and about middle of the pack in timing.  Strong dormancy, usually not sprouting until April.