JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

also called Girasole, sunflower (Helianthus tuberosus) of the Asteraceae family, native to North America, noted for its edible tubers. The aboveground part of the plant is a coarse, usually multibranched, frost-tender perennial, 2 to 3 m (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 4 ounces (about 110 grams). 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. 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.