The arracacha (Arracacia xanthorriza) is a garden root vegetable
originally from the Andes, somewhat intermediate between the
carrot and celery. Its starchy taproot is a popular food item in
South America, especially in Brazil where it is a major
commercial crop. The name arracacha (or racacha) was borrowed
into Spanish from Quechua, and is used in the Andean region. The
plant is also called apio criollo ("Creole celery") in
Venezuela, zanahoria blanca ("white carrot") in Ecuador, virraca
in Peru, and mandioquinha ("little cassava") or batata-baroa in
Brazil. It is sometimes called white carrot in English, but that
name properly belongs to white varieties of the common carrot.
The boiled root has about the same uses as boiled potatoes,
including side dishes, purées, dumplings and gnocchi, pastries,
etc., with the advantage of its flavor and (depending on the
variety) its intense color. In the Andes region it is made into
fried chips, biscuits, and coarse flour. Because it is highly
digestible (due to the smal