Cooking & Baking

What is maca root powder?

Maca root powder comes from the roots of a Peruvian plant called (you guessed it!) maca. The plant is in the same family as radishes and resembles a turnip, but it’s usually grown at higher elevations, says Gina Keatley, CDN, a New York-based nutritionist. “The roots are ground up and dried to create the powder,” she says.

Maca also typically comes in one of three colors: black (which can appear to have a deep purplish hue), red, or yellow, says Lorraine Kearney, CDN, NDTR, adjunct professor at the City University of New York.

But regardless of color, the powder really does (or should) come solely from the plant itself. “It’s not really a supplement; it’s just a dehydrated vegetable,” says Kearney.

Although it’s most commonly described as having an earthy or nutty taste, Kearney says she gets some sweetness from it. “You would think it would be like a beet or something, but to me personally, it tastes like a butterscotch,” she says."