If you do any research on the Jerusalem Artichoke, you will quickly learn the following:
- It's not an artichoke
- It's not from Jerusalem
- It is related to the sunflower
- It can be eaten raw or cooked
What you will not learn:
- It will give you wicked bad gas
At least it did for me. And my friend. Maybe this is why it's not more well known and used. JA's dirty little secret. To be fair to this little guy, I did also eat beans that day with breakfast. But a few hours after eating a normal sized portion of these, my gut was grumbling and before long... well, let's just say I was my own worst company.
Here's why this happens with this particular vegetable: the carbohydrate that gives JAs their sweetness is called inulin, and while similar to fructose, is mostly indigestible for humans. In my research, I did stumble upon a few references that suggested that these are a good carb for diabetics as the inulin does not trigger a rise in blood sugar. I'd use caution before quitting your insulin though.
The only source that confirmed that the tubers were the cause of my gastric distress was the Oxford Companion to Food, which included a quote from 1621 by John Goodyer, who wrote in Gerard's Herbal that:
...which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.
The only source that confirmed that the tubers were the cause of my gastric distress was the Oxford Companion to Food, which included a quote from 1621 by John Goodyer, who wrote in Gerard's Herbal that:
...which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.
I wonder how many chefs know of this phenomenon. I certainly had never heard of it and had always considered "sunchokes" on my list of lesser-know gems to try. They were, by the way, delicious. First I tried them raw. They have a texture and crunch similar to water chestnuts or jicama, but after the initial juicy bite there is a distinctive sweet aftertaste. They would go very well in a salad, shaved or thinly sliced. Their skin is very thin, so you can give them a good scrub and leave it on, or peel it with a sharp paring knife. The knobby parts get in the way a bit, I just cut them off.
For the main dish, I dug up an old recipe from Saveur:
First peel and cut the sunchokes into chunks. They will brown unless you drop them into water with an acid - Saveur called for the juice of half a lemon in a cooking pot.
When they are all peeled, drain the liquid and refill to cover by 1". Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 4-6 minutes until they are softened. At this point they seem sort of like cooked carrots or parsnips.
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has browned slightly, add the chokes and cook without stirring until they have browned on one side. Stir and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until they are browned and completely softened.
Toss in 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve. My favorite bites were the really soft pieces. They seemed creamier and sweeter than the less cooked pieces which still had evidence of some vegetal texture. The melted butter and salt didn't hurt matters any.
In conclusion: Sample at your own peril! Not for date night! Don't eat too many!
And by the way, you're welcome. 'Cause you won't find this information in very many places.
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