Jerusalem artichoke

Helianthus tuberosus

vegetable · root · prebiotic

Knobbly tubers of a perennial North American sunflower, tasting of artichoke — hence its name of Jerusalem artichoke; raw and grated, puréed or roasted. It provides mostly fructans.

Origin

North America

Season (United States)

October to March · grows in your region

Preparation

Very rich in inulin: start with small amounts, while the flora gets used to it. That is where its reputation comes from. Its skin is eaten, and that is where its polyphenols sit: worth keeping, then — but under running water, rubbing it, which is what takes off most of what settles there, organic or not.

Molecules

Fructans (inulin, FOS)

Did you know?

Samuel de Champlain discovered it in 1603 among the Indigenous peoples of New France; during the Second World War, its consumption soared, like that of the swede.