Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem artichoke, (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunchoke, sunflower species (Asteraceae family) native to North America and noted for its edible tubers. Jerusalem artichoke is popular as a cooked vegetable in Europe and has long been cultivated in France as a stock feed. In the United States it is rarely cultivated, but small quantities are used in making pickles, relishes, and dietary preparations. The tubers are rich in the carbohydrate inulin.

The aboveground part of the plant is a coarse, usually multibranched, frost-tender perennial, 2 to 3 metres (7 to 10 feet) tall. The numerous showy flowerheads, appearing in late summer or early autumn, have yellow ray flowers and yellow, brownish, or purplish disk flowers. The underground tubers vary from oblong to much-elongated, from regular to rough and branched, and from very small to about 110 grams (4 ounces). Skin colours range from light buff through yellowish to brown, red, and purple. The tubers are very thin-skinned and soon shrivel on exposure to dry air; the flesh is white and crisp. The plant is propagated by planting the tubers.