Potato processing in the central highlands of Peru

The processing of food products is an important economic activity of rural households in the Andean Highlands of Perú. Potatoes are processed into several dehydrated products the most common of which are chuño and papa seca. Chuño is a freezedried product made principally from bitter types of potatoes (Solarium juzepczukii and S. curtilobum) while papa seca is made from common varieties. This article describes how these and other products are made and their role within the Peruvian diet.