Forget the Incas, Machu Picchu or the Andean condor - Peru prides itself on being home of the potato, writes Thomas Bywater The South American country of Peru boasts somewhere between 3000 and 4000 varieties of tuber. All I know is that I lost count of the assorted spuds, somewhere on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Visiting Llachon as part of a homestay, on one of the country’s many subsistence farms, was a look at the part of the country few tourists see.
About 99.8 per cent of Peru’s agricultural land is classed as “family farms” - the majority of which only grow food for their own consumption. So, the only thing more plentiful than potatoes are the abundance of smallholdings.
Some of which had been planting potatoes for the past seven millennia. It’s the country that gave the world the tomato, quinoa, and cocaine. You’ll still see locals chewing coca leaves - or “chatting” as it is appropriately named.
The leaves act as a mild stimulant for luck and to help get people through the daily chores. However, it’s the humble spud that has shaped the landscape like no other. Potatoes may not sound like the most fertile ground for a travelogue, and I appreciate your patience, but it was more than altitude that suggested this field in Llachon was no average allotment.
Heading to the fields with a handful of cocoa leaves, llama fat and a plastic bottle of red wine - we looked more like the cast of Midsommar than potato farmers on their way to work. The shores of Lago .