Potatoes of Chiloé

The Chiloé Archipelago, located in southern Chile, is renowned for its diverse array of potatoes. Historical records, local farmers, and DNA analyses all indicate that this region is the cradle of the most widely cultivated potato variety in the world, Solanum tuberosum tuberosum. Indigenous people were cultivating these potatoes long before the arrival of the Spanish. Unlike the potatoes from Peru and Bolivia, those from Chiloé are uniquely adapted to flourish under the extended daylight hours characteristic of higher latitudes. Some local favorites include Camota, Cielo, Pachacoña, Cabrita, Chelina, Guadacho Colorada, Zapatona, Michuñe Azul, Huicaña, and Ñocha.

In the nearby Guaitecas Archipelago, wild potatoes can be found that bear a resemblance to those in Chiloé. The origins and migration of these wild varieties remain a mystery. This area represented the southern limit of Pre-Hispanic agriculture, with 16th-century Spanish explorers noting the cultivation of potatoes. Even Charles Darwin collected some potatoes from the Guaitecas during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. These wild potatoes typically grow in disturbed coastal areas affected by winter storms, reproducing primarily vegetatively rather than through seeds.