Fermented Yacon & Yuzu, with Nori

We have started our 2025 harvest, so now have plenty back in stock!

We are excited to announce the latest taste creation from our fermentation kitchen in Ohau. A ferment that brings together the incredibly healthy and probiotic tuber, Yacon (aka the Peruvian Underground Apple) with the delicious citrus tang of Yuzu.

It has a fresh and crisp texture with a clean bite. In addition to the Yacon and Yuzu, we have added some Nori for depth, and some slivers of fresh chilli for kick.

This remarkably textured, and aromatic ferment celebrates ingredients gathered and preserved at the peak of their season – Yuzu peel in early winter, Red Thai Chiles in late summer, and the Yacon harvested mid-winter from our small farm in Ohau.

• The Yacon is harvested on our permaculture farm on Ohau. All of this season’s harvest will be used for this product, which means it will have limited availability. year. We have increased the number of beds we are using to grow this so will have more next
• The Yuzu is grown just down the road by Neville & Junko Chun, on their small orchard. Follow them on facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/NZYuzu/]
• The Chilies we harvested from [Penrays Garden] in Otaki.

OGM is dedicated to producing 100% sustainable, ethical, natural and nutritious foods. We know that we cannot produce enough volume to feed the planet, but what little we can produce we know will hit the sweet spot for people looking for a culinary adventure combined and foods with massive health benefits.

This is a very active ferment loaded with healthy pre and probiotics.

Note this is a seasonal product generally available from early winter through to early summer.

Why Yacon?

For several years we have been growing Yacon and during this time have become increasingly fascinated by it. It has several properties that make this a superfood. These properties mean it is a potent vegetable to ferment, with this fermentation further increasing its health properties.

There is more information about Yacon in the links below, but a quick summary: it tastes sweet, and is more like a fruit than a tuber or vegetable. This sweetness comes from sugars that are so complex that our bodies can’t absorb them. However, these complex sugars are not wasted, they are the primary food for the bacteria that live in our gut.

These sugars are called Fructooligosaccharides or FOS for short. Yacon also contains high levels of inulin, another healthy pre-biotic. These types of sugars make it a natural sweetener for diabetics or people seeking gut health, where it’s often sold as a syrup. Being a potent pre-biotic also means it is an incredibly good vegetable for fermentation.

Ingredients

• Yacon
• Yuzu
• Nori
• Thai Chilli
• Salt
• plant based fermentation culture: L. plantarum; L. delbrueckii & L. brevis

This product is Vegan and contains no Gluten.

100% Sustainable

100% Natural

100% Ethical

A 100% Plant Based Superfood

Learn More

• Prebiotics: A look at FOS & Inulin [https://www.optibacprobiotics.com/learning-lab/about/prebiotics/prebiotics-closer-look-at-fos-and-inulin]
• A Sustainable Wholesome Foodstuff; Health Effects and Potential Dietotherapy Applications of Yacon [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893727/]
• Three cultivars of Yacon were brought into New Zealand by Plant & Food Research in the early 1990’s. Dr. Robert Welch, Dr. Jim Douglas, and their team experimented with different cultivars in ten growing areas across north and south of New Zealand for the highest production of natural FOS. New Zealand is now growing some of the most FOS-abundant yacon in the world. More about this here [https://www.nzyacon.com/]
• NZ Life article about Neville & Junko Chun. Confessions of a yuzu grower: The couple who grow the tangy-but-tasty fruit in Horowhenua [https://thisnzlife.co.nz/confessions-of-a-yuzu-grower-this-couple-left-the-city-to-grow-the-tangy-but-tasty-fruit-in-horowhenua/]