If you’re here to learn about the differences in color, taste and texture between the distinct types of maca, you’re in the right place. We’ve been enjoying and selling maca since the late 1990s and have often been asked questions like these:
They are all excellent questions, especially since most of us never see a whole maca root. Very few of us ever get to observe a maca root in person since it is, in fact, unlawful to export whole maca roots from Peru (the closest we are allowed to bring to market are our maca root chips).
From the image below, you can see that maca roots grow in a relatively wide range of colors. One of the farmers we work with has identified over 30 eco-types of maca based on the colors present in them. There are roots with stripes, blotches, spirals and more. There are also roots of various shaded of colors.
That said, maca roots are grouped into 3 basic ranges of colors.
Traditionally, maca roots were all lumped together during harvest, regardless of their specific color. That is why we call our Tri-Color Maca a “heritage harvest” product. Since the early 2000s, researchers have looked carefully at some of the different properties of the 3 major maca colors and discovered a few significant differences. More research is ongoing to understand these differences, but they are notable enough to warrant separating the 3 colors during production of maca root powders.
Because of the external appearance of varying maca roots, you might expect that red maca powder would be reddish in color, that black maca powder would be grayish and that yellow maca powder would be yellow. That, however, is not the case. This is because the color of maca roots is found primarily in the skin, something like a radish which is red on the outside but white on the inside. Have a look at the image below to observe the differences for yourself.
The result is that there are only slight differences between the 3 major colors of maca powder. All are an off white, but red and black maca powders are typically a bit darker than yellow powders – although that can also change.
Over the years of sourcing and selling maca we have noticed that maca colors vary slightly from batch to batch. For example, one batch of Black Maca may be darker than another or another batch may be even lighter than Yellow Maca powder. There is good reason for this. It is due to the ratio of light to dark colored roots that are used in making a batch of powder. Some black maca powders are made with a larger proportion of dark gray roots, thus resulting in a darker colored powder. Others are made with a larger proportion of very light gray roots, thus resulting in a lighter colored powder. The same holds true for red and yellow maca powders as well.
We’ve also noticed that the aroma and texture of our maca powders can vary a bit from year to year as well. These depend on several factors including the exact location of the fields, the environmental conditions of the harvest (drought, extra sunshine, etc.), the drying process and more. We work with organic farmers who use traditional methods in their practices and this variation is simply normal, as it is with any organic, Non-GMO crop.
One other note when it comes to color of maca powders it that our premium process maca powders are lighter in color than our standard sundried maca powders. This is because premium maca powder comes from roots that are dried and processed immediately after harvest. This prevents any darkening due to oxidation. To give you a sense of this, here is an image of sundried yellow, black, red and premium tri-color maca powders (left to right).
Should you expect different colored maca to taste differently? This is also an excellent question. In general terms, all maca has a unique caramel/malt taste. Beyond that, we’ve noticed that red maca powder tends to be slightly sweeter in taste and that yellow maca powder tends to be the most neutral.
If you purchase any of our premium maca powders, you should expect them to be significantly more pungent in flavor. Some people describe them as “spicy.”
The general texture of maca powder should be fine. We do standardize our grinding process. In this process all of the individual grains of maca powder have to be small enough to pass through a fine screen. That means the overall texture should be similar from batch to batch. Sometimes, however, maca powder does form small clumps. This is because of how tightly maca is packed when it is shipped to us in bulk. If you find any clumps in your maca, that is normal and you can simply break them up with a spoon.
We hope that this article has answered any question you might have regarding the different colors of maca powder. If your maca powder is lighter or darker than expected or if it doesn’t taste or smell exactly the same, please know that those differences are part of the variety of nature. We can assure you that our farms produce the highest quality organic maca using the most traditional and careful methods. Our processors select only grade “A” maca roots. The maca powders we receive from them are kept in different locations in our warehouse and our bags our hand-packed with precision and accuracy.
If you’d like to see Mark, the owner of The Maca Team, in Peru showing the differences between maca root colors please have a look at this video.Enjoy the day!
I shop around a lot for my supplements and health foods, and I have to say you guys at The Maca Team are light years ahead of anyone else selling maca out in the marketplace. Thanks for all you do!
By Jim Price, The Green Marketing Guru
Loving the red maca from themacateam. I can tell the difference from my usual store-bought brands. It really tastes so fresh and sweet compared to others. I really love this product. Thanks for sourcing it for us to enjoy
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I LOVE Maca Team Maca...this was my first purchase with the Maca Team and I have no need to try any other Maca-producer. The Maca tastes fresh and flavorful, the Kilo bag is a great price, and I feel so much more at ease (Maca is such powerful medicine :) )
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I take 24 products from five to six times a week to increase my well-being and sensual and sexual delights. ;D The Maca Team’s organic maca is one of them—nine grams in my smoothie, Monday to Saturday. The Maca Team is a small business run by a family who cares about its customers, its Peruvian maca growers, and the environment. It's vital to know the source of everything we put in our mouths. Physical and mental health are precious treasures. :D
By Jerry Montero
By Milt Thompson
This product is amazing! I have used other cheaper brands of white maca with fairly good results, but after trying the Maca Team maca, I noticed within two weeks all of my menopausal symptoms had completely vanished. Others described a bad taste and smell, but I have tried the black and the red and find them both to be mild tasting. I use a tablespoon in my daily smoothly
By Joy
Maca first came to us by our vitamin supplier. Then we ordered from the Maca Team. Comparison? Think fire-fly, then think mid-day sun. At 76 and 73 years respectively, that is a big deal; and at comparable cost too. We never have we had such speedy delivery and the packaging is the strongest, most protective we've seen, ever, at all ... anywhere. Further, the Mrs. no longer takes hormone supplements. And Mr. scans the morning want ads for steady P/T work.
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I had been using another brand of maca powder and decided to try The Maca Team's. The difference in freshness is night and day, and better tasting . I'm 6 foot 250 lbs. and take 4 teaspoons every day w/ my protein shake. Great energy boost and just feel great all day. I can tell a difference when I do not take it. best price that I have found {36oz}. I will be buying more as needed.
By J.D.
I've tried various maca brands over the last 20 years and The Maca Team brand is very special. There is definitely a difference when it comes to the quality and colors of the maca. This red maca does seem to nourish certain parts of my body while the black maca nourishes something else. I know I've been missing the nutrition these maca provide. I'm 75 years old and bodies wear out, but I'm finding I'm regaining a functioning body. How wonderful is this?!?!!!
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I just wanted to thank you for your excellently constructed website. I am a physician and I recently started learning about Maca. I get a very good sense of it, and I expect I will try it out myself and possibly be recommending it to patients in the future. If so, your website will be the first place to send people. Thanks again.
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Love the Maca team, In an earlier comment I said I was on the fence about where to buy Maca .Not anymore .You shouldn’t be either. The team has answered any questions I’ve had promptly. I feel like I’m dealing with friends, not some company far away out for my money only. The Maca is fresh, prices are good, the people are nice. If you’re on the fence, don’t be, you won’t be sorry.
By Bob
My Maca came in today and it has all the information on it! I must say this is the best tasting Maca I have tried!! Thank you again for a great product!! I will only order from you in future as well!
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We love this product. I own a store and work with clients holistically. We have recommended maca for years however, this is the highest quality product we have ever carried. I am proud to offer it in my store.
By Mellissa Gage, Infinity and Beyond
I am really happy that I chose the Maca Team, today you can find many distributors selling Maca powder, however quality of the powder is impossible to compare. Moreover, the results after 2 weeks I could feel. Before I was taking maca powder and I did not feel any changes. But since I started taking Maca from Maca Team the changes are incredible. So, I did a test.:) I gave the powder to my partner ... and after 2 weeks he was impressed and told me that he has more energy, feeling happy... Thank you The Maca Team!!!!
By Olga
I do want to say that I have done quite a bit of research on different companies that offer Maca and The Maca Team definitely is the most reputable. Thank you again for your kindness and professionalism :)
By T.C.
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