Jerusalem artichokes are neither artichokes, nor related to Jerusalem in any way. The plant is actually a variety of sunflower (you eat the tuber of the plant) so the name was derived from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole which, well, kind of sounds like Jerusalem. To avoid confusion, many growers and markets often refer to it as a sunchoke.
Seasonal Spotlight: Jerusalem Artichokes, a.k.a. Sunchokes
Sunchokes are in season from October through March, so if you've never tried them, now is the time. They're also native to the east coast of the United States, so for those of you east-coasters looking for a guilt-free crop, this one's for you. You can probably find some at your local farmers' market.
Suncokes are lumpy and brown tubers that look a lot like ginger root. They have a nutty, crunchy, sweet flesh so they are great raw, shaved thinly over salads. Roasting them nestled in a thick bed of salt is another common preparation. Jerusalem artichokes are lovely cooked and puréed into a silky winter soup. They are an excellent source of iron.
Some Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke recipes:
• Sunchoke Soup with Pumpkin Seeds from this month's Bon Appétit (November 2008)
• Smoked Brook Trout with Sunchoke Purée and Cippolini Onion from Chocolate & Zucchini
• Shaved Sunchoke Salad with Parmesan and Arugula from Food & Wine (May 2006)
• Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles from Gourmet (June 2008)
(Image via flickr member tillwe licensed under Creative Commons)
Tags
Winter, Fall, Ingredients - Vegetables, Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokesRelated Links
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Thanx, informative.
I bet they're not pretty when they go bad...they're not exactly beautiful to start with.
I've been making a sweet potato and sunchoke gratin lately.
I love them no matter how they are prepared.
Sunchoke chips are good too.
view art's profile
They make a killer rad viccysoise. It was the first dish I made using them, and it made me a devout fan.
view OneWallKitchen's profile
They are odd-looking but tasty. What I find peculiar is that I bought mine in June at Union Square Market..Is the season longer?
We really liked this recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver:
http://www.izzyeats.com/2008/06/jerusalem-artichoke-gratin.html
view izzy's mama's profile
Be warned! Some people have difficulty digesting sunchokes because of unusual sugar called inulin causing stomach cramps, diarrhea, even vomiting.
You may want to try them in small quantities before preparing an entire meal of these guys.
view Comicgeek's profile
Comicgeek is right - if you eat these in large quantities (they are delicious enough to want to eat as a main course) make sure you are in good company. Flatulance is a very very common side affect.
If you're eating them as a side dish or in a soup its prob not enough to be an issue.
view mouserkt's profile