Preidesvenida Borga Beteta
480 varieties
Quisqui District, Huánuco
I learned from my grandparents how to grow my native potatoes and to take care not to lose my varieties. They would be happy because they cultivated them and ate them knowing that these varieties were very good for you. My grandparents would be in their seventh heaven to see things like this because in their time no one took any notice of the native potatoes.
To do the work, if you don’t have a partner to help you, as in my case, you go and help other people, and then they help you. This type of help is called minka. As they say in my region, “You work a shift for me, two shifts, and tomorrow I’ll come with all my people (to help you).” This is how I work: with mutual help. Without workers, you can do nothing, but through mutual help, you can get it done.
With native potatoes, you can make so many things. You can make wonderful food. For my daughters, I make different things with my potatoes: with the colored varieties I make Mazamorra Morada (a traditional pudding-like dessert made from purple corn), and jello. I invent all kinds of things