I don't know why this plant is rated "1", as it is a valuable commercial crop in the southern Bolivian highlands. In Bolivian markets it fetches higher prices than other root crops, so I think the farmers must be pleased with it. And personally I think it is delicious. An entire chapter of "Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation" is devoted to it, and thinks we are missing out on something good. In Bolivian markets it is classified as "fruit" rather than "vegetable", because of its sweetness. It is starchier than other roots that are eaten raw. It has a reputation for settling troubled stomachs which I can confirm, and found very comforting while travelling in that country. I scoured the markets for it once I found out about it. The thin grey skin can be pulled off by hand in strips quite easily. The white flesh is shot through with mauve fibres, and handling the cut flesh imparts a mauve stain to your fingers. Because of the fibres, it is best cut into slices to eat. I found it on sale in highland locations - Tupiza (2800m), Potos? (4000m), Uyun? (3700m) and Oruro (3700m), areas with much frost in the "winter" dry season, and where not much beyond oranges and banana is brought up from the lowlands for sale. But I couldn't find it in "Eastern Valley" areas - Sucre (2600m) or Cochabamba (2400m), markets which have much better selection of produce grown in frost-free valley bottoms. I saw a field at about 3300m which the locals claimed was for growing ahipa, between Potos? and Vitichi. So I do wonder if it is grown at somewhat higher altitudes than suggested in the book. Or perhaps the lower grown crop was already past its season when I got to the lower cities.

Link: Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation