ABSTRACT
The potato tuber, from the point of its recorded history, has had a tremendous impact on civilization. 1-6 The potato originated on the South American continent, particularly in the areas of Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. The natives in the harsh climates of the high plateaus depended on the potato for survival and developed the first methods for preserving the nutritional quality of the tuber. Potatoes were spread on the ground to allow the tuber tissues to freeze. Moisture was squeezed from the tubers by tromping them with bare feet the following day and for several days thereafter. The resulting dried product, called Chuno, was then stored for consumption throughout the year. Tubers treated as described above, but covered with straw at night, resulted in a product called Moray. Tubers used as Moray were placed in water pools for several months, then sun dried. The resultant white tuber tissue was used as potato flour. The effective freeze-dried preservation of potato tubers in this manner has continued from several thousand years in history to the present day.
