Sacha inchi

Sacha inchi is a perennial climbing vine that grows in the warm, humid tropics, with heart-shaped leaves and small flowers. The green fruit capsule is star-shaped with four to seven lobes, and it ripens to brown before splitting. Each lobe holds a flat, oval, dark brown seed with a hard shell. The raw seeds are bitter and should be roasted, giving a flavour often compared to peanut or sunflower with a slight grassiness. The seeds are about 35 to 60 per cent oil, much of it polyunsaturated.

Sacha inchi is native to the Amazon region of Peru and neighbouring countries, where it grows in tropical forest zones and has been cultivated by Indigenous peoples. Peru remains a major producer, with plantations now also in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, as well as Colombia and Ecuador. The plant requires warm temperatures and good rainfall, and it needs a trellis to climb. It begins to yield several months after planting.

Archaeological finds and old Peruvian ceramics suggest that sacha inchi has been used in the Amazon for a very long time, with some references to it being cultivated for over 3,000 years. Indigenous groups ate the roasted seeds, used the oil for cooking and for skin, and the plant was a household food crop rather than a trade commodity. The name is Quechua in origin, sometimes translated as 'false peanut' or 'mountain peanut'.

Interest in the seed grew from the early 2000s, when researchers and companies highlighted its oil's high alpha-linolenic acid content. Sacha inchi oil, protein powder and roasted seeds are now sold in health food markets internationally. In Peru and other producing countries it has been promoted as an alternative crop for smallholders and as an agroforestry option. The crop has also been the subject of ongoing agronomic and nutritional research.

The shelled seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack, either plain or flavoured, and added to granola, trail mixes and salads. They are ground to a protein powder after the oil is pressed out and are blended into smoothies. Cold-pressed sacha inchi oil is used in salad dressings and finished dishes but not for high-heat cooking, and also appears in cosmetics. In the Amazon the roasted seeds are also ground into sauces. Raw seeds should not be eaten.

Sacha inchi seeds are unusual for their fat composition, containing a large share of alpha-linolenic acid, a plant omega-3 fat, along with linoleic acid. They also supply protein, fibre, vitamin E and minerals such as magnesium and iron. The plant omega-3 is not the same as the long-chain EPA and DHA from fish, which the body converts only in small amounts. Roasting is needed to reduce bitter compounds. Nutrient values vary with variety and product, so label values should be consulted.