Discover the Health Benefits and Recipes of Maca Powder

Maca Peruviana is a small annual herbaceous plant typical of the Peruvian and Bolivian highlands. Its root, a tuber similar to a turnip about 5-7 cm in diameter, is edible and has been used as food for thousands of years, especially for its beneficial properties.

Indeed, its roots produce a powder known as "Peruvian ginseng" for its tonic-adaptogenic abilities: it is believed to improve the body's nonspecific resistance to external stress stimuli, both physical and mental.

How to Consume Maca Powder:

As mentioned earlier, the edible part of the plant is its root, rich in important and essential nutrients for our health. The root of Peruvian maca was traditionally consumed cooked or boiled, but first, it was naturally dried in the sun using traditional methods.

Since the 1990s, a new processing method has been introduced to produce gelatinized maca. Despite the confusing name, this method has nothing to do with gelatin. On the contrary, gelatinization is a completely natural process that makes maca powder easier to digest by removing starch, amplifies its nutrients making it more concentrated, and makes it more soluble, thus easier to dissolve in liquids.

Maca powder has a distinctive and pungent taste, sweetish and slightly malty, which can give a sensation between bitter and spicy to the palate. It can be mixed into smoothies, beverages, milk, or yogurt. It pairs perfectly with fruit juices, chocolate, and much more...

Additionally, maca powder can be added to both sweet and savory recipes, to season salads and vegetables, in broths and soups, or as an ingredient in homemade desserts, cakes, cookies, or bread dough.

Let's see together how to use maca powder in some recipes to fully enjoy all its beneficial properties without sacrificing taste!

Maca Powder Recipes:

Maca Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• 2 small bananas

• 2 teaspoons of NaturaleBio maca powder

• 1-2 teaspoons of NaturaleBio coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Put the eggs, bananas, and maca powder in a blender until smooth.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan over low heat.

3. Then add the desired amount of pancake batter.

4. Cook each side for about 2 minutes.

5. Repeat until the batter is finished, re-greasing the pan with coconut oil if necessary.

6. Once ready, these delicious pancakes can be garnished with your favorite fresh fruit and topped with maple syrup or NaturalePiù Manuka honey.

Maca-Guacamole "Macamole"

Ingredients:

• 2-3 ripe avocados

• 5 cherry tomatoes, diced

• 1⁄2 chopped onion

• 3 teaspoons of NaturaleBio maca powder

• Juice of 1-2 organic lemons (or limes)

• Salt to taste

• 1 crushed garlic clove (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mash the pulp of the ripe avocados with a fork until smooth and lump-free.

2. Add all the ingredients to the mixture and mix well until well incorporated.

3. Once ready, the sauce can be used to dress toasted bread, crostini, or served alongside crispy nachos!