Topinambur Healthy root of the Indians with healing power

Jerusalem artichoke - the potato of the Indians
Jerusalem artichoke is a potato-like root vegetable with a nutty aroma. The noble tuber tastes raw and grated in a winter salad with fennel and green apple. With a dash of lemon juice she will not turn brown in the air. Only by cooking, the fine-sweet taste, which comes in soups, sauces and purees particularly well. For a delicious soup, the tubers are seasoned with garlic and shallots, extinguished with white wine and filled vegetable stock. Carefully soften the roots, add the cream, puree and season with coriander seeds. The Jerusalem artichokes are also easy to roast in wok or cook like potatoes and serve as a side dish to meat and fish.
Before preparation, the tuber must be carefully cleaned under running water and freed from soil with a vegetable brush. The shell is edible but is often removed.

Jerusalem artichokes: The healthy tuber of the Indians. Image: Printemps - fotolia

Jerusalem artichoke is not only delicious, but also very healthy. It consists of 80 percent water and therefore contains only 31 kcal per 100 g. Nevertheless, it is very filling due to the high fiber content (12 g). The contained fiber inulin is well suited for diabetics, as it hardly affects the blood sugar level. Other positive ingredients are B vitamins as well as minerals such as potassium (480 mg) and iron (3.7 mg).

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is a perennial herb of up to two meters tall and related to the sunflower. It forms potato-sized tubers underground with a brownish-purple shell and cream-colored flesh, visually reminiscent of ginger. The root vegetable is named after an indigenous people of North America. In the 17th century, the tuber with the sailors came to Europe and was used as vegetables and cattle feed until the potato displaced them.

Jerusalem artichoke is available in well-stocked supermarkets, organic food stores and at the weekly market, but can also be easily grown in your own garden. Only firm tubers with an intact, shiny shell belong in the shopping basket. They are perishable and should therefore be processed quickly. They only last a few days in the fridge. (Heike Kreutz, aid)