AGUAYMANTO
LATIN NAME: Physalis peruviana L.
USED PARTS OF THE PLANT:
fruit, leaves
CURATIVE PROPERTIES:
- Immunomodulatory properties
- Anti-rheumatic
- Anticancer
- Nutritious
- Antioxidant
- Antidepressant
- Anti-age
USE IN TRADITIONAL PERUVIAN MEDICINE:
- Supplementing minerals and vitamins, antioxidant
- Sight, retina, eye nerves
- Joints
- Diabetes
- Energy, sport
- Anxiety
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT AND ITS PRESENCE
Aguaymanto is a plant with yellow flowers which are easily pollinated by wind and insects. It grows 2 meters tall. It has fruits which are tightly enclosed in a golden, papyraceous shell in the shape of a lantern. This natural cover protects the fruit from pests and mechanical damage, and also keeps it fresh form many weeks after picking. When you unfold the cover, you see a shiny fruit in the size of a sweet cherry. Its color is combination of yellow and orange, and the aroma is very intense.
Aguaymanto, because of the properties of the fruits, was already cultivated in the ear of Incas – mainly in the Holly Valley as one of not that many species in the royal gardens of Machu Picchu. It was known as Yawarchunka, Topotopo, Aymara, Uchupa and Cuchuva. All around the world it is also known as Incan berries, Golden berries, Incan Cherry, Tomatino, or Uvilla.
Currently, it grows in the wild – especially in the vicinity of Cusco, Apurimac, La Libertad, Huancavelica and Ancash. The inner structure of the fruit resembles miniature tomatoes, and its taste can be described as the balance between sweet and sour. You eat them fresh, but also in the form of jams, jellies and sauces. When dried, they resemble raisins of red color, and its acidulous taste is sophisticated and refreshing.
The fruits of Andean Aguaymanto used to be food for the poor, and they were undervalued for a very long time. After that period of disdain and ignorance they were rediscovered – mainly thanks to scientific research – as a unique treasure of nature. It was the beginning of its great popularity and conquest of the worldwide market.
MORE INFORMATION
Golden Berries, Incan Golden Berries, Peruvian Mochynia – fruit which conquers the world.
If you take a closer look at the fruit of Aguaymanto and its unique properties, you will easily understand why this orange ball is so closely protected by the “paper” cover. The fruit of Aguaymanto is sated with minerals and vitamins, and its greatest richness lies in the content of vitamin A (3000 IU of Carotene per 100 g). It is also a rich source of vitamins from the groups B, C, and E, also mineral salts (especially kalium), iron, phosphor, fiber, calcium and protein.
Thanks to the great amount of nutritious substances the consumption of Aguaymanto fruit is very beneficial for protecting and supporting your health. It is a fantastic antioxidant that stops cells from ageing, it improves the state of cell membranes, prolongs their youth, protects retina and eye nerves, improves the state of skin tissues and mucous membranes. It helps with proper functioning of blood circulation – it boosts its efficiency, and seals blood vessels. It is great for joints, it has anti-rheumatic properties, it helps with the treatment of rheumatic arthritis. It prevents the illnesses of digestive system, colon, and large intestine, it stabilizes the level of glucose in the blood and therefore is anti-diabetic.
It helps the treatment of prostate. It will be appreciated by women in the time of menopause – thanks to the content of estrogens it soothes the symptoms of that time, and helps to absorb iron. Apart from that, Aguaymanto has the regenerating properties, it boosts the production of the red blood cells, and helps to purify blood by eliminating albumin from kidneys.
Flavonoids present in Aguaymanto have sedative qualities. It is a perfect antidote for stress, it provides a lot of energy needed for fighting with physical and mental fatigue, even with states similar to depression.
It is a source of natural energy in nutrition of children, students, and sportspeople.
HOW TO USE
Dried fruit of Aguaymanto resembles red/orange raisins. They have intense sweet-and-sour, refreshing flavor. Maintaining the natural fructose and most of their nutritious values they are a perfect source of energy. You can carry them while travelling as a backup of food of high energetic value (power snack). It helps with doing sports and intense trips.
Dried fruit are good for consumption, but also serve as an addition to muesli, desserts, cakes, jams, sauces, bars , nut mixtures and fruit teas. Adding Aguaymanto to fruit or vegetable salads will make those dishes more sophisticated.
For the people who have a constant need of chewing something, the fruit can easily substitute chewing gum – when chewed slowly, one at a time, they refresh your mouth and supply body with energy. If you are about to quit smoking, we recommend slow chewing of single Aguaymanto raisins.
