Tocosh

Tocosh (also known as togosh or tocos) is a traditional Quechua food prepared from fermented potato pulp (maize is less common). It is often prepared for celebration events and has a strong odor and flavor. Tocosh can be used as a natural antibiotic because penicillin is produced during the fermentation process. Medicinally it is used for the common cold, gastric ulcers, pneumonia, and altitude sickness among others. The Incas believed it was a gift from Inti, the sun god, for preservation of the body.

The fermentation process of creating tocosh was discovered by the Incas (or possibly one of the many cultures in their empire). Fermentation is achieved by placing either potato pulp or maize in a mesh bag of grass, covered with stones, and left undisturbed for six to twelve months within a pool of water where there is a current (the pool may be found naturally or dug on the banks of a stream). The current flows through the stones to wash away bacteria during fermentation. Once fermentation has occurred, the tocosh is dried in the sun and stored for future use.

The most common preparation in the Huánuco region of Peru is to make a mazamorra or jelly-like dessert.

Etymology
The word tocosh derives from the word tuqush, a Quechua word that means 'wrinkled and fermented'.

Medical uses
Tocosh can be used as a natural antibiotic due to penicillin being produced during the fermentation process. Traditionally, Tocosh is used during postpartum care, for treating colds, pneumonia, and wounds. Additionally, it aids in healing hemorrhoids and gastric ulcers, prevents gastrointestinal infections, protects the gastric mucosa, and addresses acute altitude sickness. Tocosh is valued for its potential in being an effective and very low-cost antibiotic, energizer, and probiotic.

Corn tocosh, though made through the same process, does not have the same properties as potato tocosh. Chemical composition analyses have revealed the presence of fatty acids within the lipid fraction; free amino acids; macro and micro elements; of the vitamins thiamine and riboflavin, leading to it being considered as a food that provides essential amino acids in the form of AA. Free. The characteristic of its process allows the nutrients to be found in simpler, easily assimilated fractions. It also increases the linoleic and calcium content, making it recommended as a complementary food for children.

In Peru, the three traditional tocosh-producing regions are Ancash, Huánuco and Junín.

Preparation
A hole 1.5 m deep and 1 m in diameter is dug in the ground. The bottom and walls are covered with a ichu, a type of grass. Then, the well is filled with potatoes, placing a new layer of grass after each 30 cm of potatoes. When the well is full, it is covered with a final blanket of grass and topped with stones. Finally, through a small acequia – a canal – the well is filled with water. Water is then allowed to run permanently through the well. It is left like this for a period ranging from four months to two years. When a foam with a strong rotten smell rises between the stones and the grass on the surface, the tocosh is ready to be collected. The food is then dried in the sun and is ready for consumption.