Achira is another little-known species from the warm Andean valleys. Achira’s main constraint is the long cooking time that is required to soften the root tissue. This limits direct consumption, especially in production areas short of cooking fuel. However, achira rhizomes contain a high-value starch. Owing to its exceptionally large starch granules, which settle quickly out of a suspension of grated rhizome tissue, the starch can be extracted economically with homemade equipment, and cottage industries have been developed in some Andean locations. Achira is the main cash crop in some villages. About 30,000 hectares of achira are grown in Vietnam for high-quality, premium-priced transparent noodles.