This weird looking mass is called a llareta plant, parts of which are over 3000 years old. You can find this ‘mature’ shrub in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Believe it or not, it is actually a relative of parsley, but I wouldn’t be garnishing my food with it any time soon!
No, you won’t find llaretas on a plate, but unfortunately it is getting used up in other ways. As you can decipher from the image, llaretas are quite dense and although they look quite mossy and moisture rich, they are actually rather dry. As a result, they can function as a fuel and this has endangered their survival.
Aside from Chile, these plants can be found throughout the Andes in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
-Jean
Image courtesy of Rachel Sussman