The

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...

is home to a wide variety of

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es. After the Titicaca region of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, it is the geographical nucleus where the most different types of potatoes are found. Evidence ranging from historical records, local agriculturalists, and

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

analyses strongly supports the hypothesis that the most widely cultivated variety of potato worldwide, ''

Solanum tuberosum tuberosum The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

'', is indigenous to the Chiloé Archipelago, and has been cultivated by the local

indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

since before the

Spanish conquest The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It ...

. Unlike potatoes from Peru and Bolivia, the potatoes of Chiloé are adapted to the long summer days of the higher latitude region of southern Chile. After the disastrous European Potato Failure in the 1840s, strains originating in the Chiloé Archipelago replaced earlier potatoes of Peruvian origin in Europe. The potatoes of Chiloé are important elements of Chilote

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

and features in

Chilote mythology The Chilote mythology or Chilota mythology is formed by the myths, legends and beliefs of the people who live in the Chiloé Archipelago, in the south of Chile. This mythology reflects the importance of the sea in the life of Chilotes. Chilote my ...

. Historian Renato Cárdenas and botanist Carolina Villagrán counted about "300 names used for potatoes grown in Chiloé at different times".Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 26. Local varieties include '' Bruja morada'', '' Camota'',Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 109. '' Chochoca'', '' Clavela lisa'', '' Güencha'',Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 172. '' Pachacoña'',Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 263. '' Caballera'',Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 102. ''Cabrita'', ''Cabra'',Effect of the storage temperature and time on native potato quality
/ref> '' Michuñe Azul'', '' Michuñe negra'', '' Michuñe roja'', '' Huicaña'',Cárdenas & Villagrán 2005, p. 186. '' Viscocha''. Some potatoes varieties developed abroad have also been introduced to Chiloé, but not all of these have been successful in adapting, despite their putative high yields. Cultivation of the ''coraíla'' variety introduced by Servando Coraíl was dominant in the early 20th century, but discontinued when the cultivar was repeatedly struck by potato blight in the 1950s and 1960s. Preservation efforts of the many varieties began in the 1960s when agronomist Andrés Contreras travelled Chiloé Archipelago in search of small gardens where local elderly women had grown potatoes over many generations. At present Austral University of Chile in

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

hosts a

gene bank A gene bank is a type of biorepository that is used across the world to store the genetic material of animals, plants, and other organisms. It preserves their genetic information in the form of reproductive material like seeds, sperm, eggs, emb ...

of the potatoes of Chiloé.

Guaitecas Archipelago

Some of the potatoes of Chiloé also grow in the wild in Guaitecas Archipelago, although there is some uncertainty as to when and how potatoes arrived there. The Guaitecas Archipelago formed the southern limit of Pre-Hispanic agriculture as noted by the mention of the cultivation of potatoes by a Spanish expedition in 1557. In 1834, during the

second voyage of HMS Beagle The second voyage of HMS ''Beagle'', from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836, was the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, HMS ''Beagle'', made under her newest commander, Robert FitzRoy. FitzRoy had thought of the advantages of having someo ...

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

collected potatoes from Guaitecas. Potatoes grow beside the sea in a

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

aceous zone. The wild potatoes that grow in the archipelago are mostly found in its western part. Apparently these potatoes do not reproduce by seeds and rarely produce flowers and fruits. Potatoes grow in zones of disturbance, mainly in the herbaceous zone near the coast that is affected by winter storms. File:Solanum tuberosum - guadacho.JPG, '' Guadachos'' variety File:Solanum tuberosum - michuñe blanca.JPG, '' Michuñe Blanca'' variety File:Solanum tuberosum - michuñe.JPG, '' Michuñe Roja'' variety

References

;Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Potatoes of Chiloe Potato cultivars Crops originating from Chile Agriculture in Chile Chiloé Archipelago Chilean cuisine Indigenous culture of the Southern Cone