Nalcas

The name "Nalca" sounds funny, and the vegetable that follows does not disappoint!  We first noticed Nalcas when we were getting on a 3-hour bus ride from Valdivia to Pucón.  Another guy got on the bus with a few slung over his shoulder.  At the time, we had no idea what they were but took note.

A few days later, when walking around downtown Villarrica, we saw a vendor selling Nalcas outside of the supermarket.  We asked him what they were, and he told us they grow by the side of rivers in this region of Chile.  He was also quick to volunteer that his selection was super fresh- picked this morning!  We had planned on a beach day at the lake and didn't want to carry around the Nalca for hours, so we passed the opportunity to buy one then.  Lucky for us, however, we found the same vendor as we were headed home, so we picked one up.  Here are our impressions:

Our Chilean house-mates showed us that you open the Nalca by simply breaking it in half over your knee.  Then, you have to strip away the outer fibrous part, leaving the whiter inner part to eat.  We cubed it and sprinkled it with salt as recommended.  Matt was not a fan, but Karen enjoyed it.  The Nalca we got was particularly fibrous, so we ended up spitting out wads of leftover material after chewing on each piece for a few minutes.  The flavor is surprisingly acidic or lemony and the texture reminds us of celery.  Chileans recommend putting it cubed into salads, which I would definitely try in the future.

The head of the Nalca looks particularly funky.

Spoiler alert: I just googled Nalcas and they're apparently called Chilean Rhubarb in English.  I guess they do kind of look like rhubarb after all.