Maca is a root vegetable from Peru, & is also considered to be a medicinal herb. Maca looks like a little turnip or radish, & has been used as a traditional staple food in Peru for centuries. Maca comes under the herbal classification of being adaptogenic. Adaptogens are herbs such as ginseng that are traditionally thought to help the body to adapt to increased or ambiguous stressors. Maca is a very densely nutritious food that contains high amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes & all the essential amino acids (so often hard to obtain from any single non-flesh food). The amino acid content of this plant gives it an average bioavailable protein content of around 14% of the entire weight of the plant. Maca certainly has an impressive array of minerals, with notably high levels of bioavailable calcium. The vast majority of people today eat food that is lower in minerals than traditional wild foods. Maca's high-mineral content can help top up your mineral stores in a tasty & enjoyable way. in addition, maca also contains trace amounts of vitamin B12 (though not enough to rely on by itself). Maca is very tasty & has a malt-like flavor; it can be eaten alone, or mixed in with other foods.