Maca/Lepidium meyenii

People all over the world have been claiming that the so-called aphrodisiacs like oysters, chocolate, etc enhance sex drive. Really. Well, that’s what they’re saying. Could this be true? It couldn’t hurt to have a boost in the bedroom, right? So here is Maca a legendary sex-enhancing root passed down from the Inca Empire. And damas y caballeros, my question is: can Maca root really boost your libido? The skeptic in me says it can’t be true, but the dreamy part of me hopes that Maca will help boost the libido to anyone who needs it. Who wouldn’t want to be able to perform at your best every single time? It was not until the 1930’s that the plant’s true clinical adaptogenic powers were finally rediscovered by the Modern World. It was then that Russian Scientists studying the plant found that the plant provided many benefits to an organism without displaying any type of negative side effects. Isn’t that great?

Lepidium meyenii or Maca is an herbaceous biennial plant native to the high Andes of Peru. The Maca plant has been used as a source of food in that region for thousands of years. This plant has traditionally been a staple super food-food-herb in the harsh cold climates of the high Andes for thousands of years. Its scalloped leaves lie close to the ground and it produces self-fertile small off-white flowers typical to the mustard family which it belongs to. The part used is the tuberous root which is pear shaped, up to 8 cm in diameter and off-white in color. Unlike many other tuberous plants, Maca is propagated by seed. The dried roots can be stored for up to seven years. Native Peruvians have traditionally utilized Maca since before the time of the Incas for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. When the Spanish arrived to Peru in 1533, these little plants were hidden away and remained on the brink of extinction for centuries.

In the Mid 1980’s, The Board of Genetic Plant Resources actually listed Maca as a plant in danger of extinction. The United States National Research Council dubbed Maca as the “lost crop of the Incas” because of the root crop’s high value to the Peruvian Inca’s daily life. Maca was used by the Incas not only to give them strength but also to keep themselves and their livestock fertile. Thought, it is believed that Maca Root help sexual performance and act as an aphrodisiac that boosts libido in both men and women. The tuber or root is consumed fresh or dried. The fresh roots are considered a treat and are baked or roasted in ashes (in the same manner as sweet potatoes). Maca leaves can be mixed with other green and raw vegetables and made into a fresh salad. Use with your favorite dressing but vinaigrette will be a good match. Eating maca raw is the best preparation for the herb because you get all the vitamins and nutrients contained in the plant. Maca is especially rich in Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, and contains a total of 26 amino acids!

Maca-mint Blondies
*thisdishisvegetarian*

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp maca root powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup Sucanat
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure mint extract
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, maca powder and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, non-dairy milk, vinegar and mint extract; add to the dry mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don’t overmix. Spoon batter into an oiled 8 x 8-inch square pan and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center of the batter comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Maca Ice-Cream and Cacao Crackle Sandwiches
*therawchef*

Ingredients
For the ice-cream
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/3 cup agave
1 vanilla pod, insides scraped out
3 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons Maca root powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch salt

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
Pour into an ice-cream maker. Alternatively you can pour into a container and place in the freezer to set hard. Once it’s frozen, cut into chunks and run through a juicer with the blank homogenising plate on. This gets rid of any ice crystals that may have formed. When ice-cream is soft enough to work with shape it into a cylinder (a metal ring is great for this) and re-freeze.

For the cacao crackles
1/2 cup cacao butter
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup agave
3 tablespoons cacao nibs

Blend all ingredients except the cacao nibs in a high-speed blender.
Use a spoon to drop small amounts of the mixture onto a non-stick surface, such as a Paraflexx sheet, to form circles only slightly bigger than the ice-cream cylinders. Leave to set hard.

Assembly
Take the ice-cream cylinders from the freezer and let them soften slightly for a few minutes. That way the next stage will work better. Sandwich each of the cylinders between 2 pieces of the cacao crackles. You may want to return them to the freezer at this point so the whole thing freezes together as one.