When you first hear the words, “Jerusalem artichoke” you may think that this tuber is an artichoke or it’s from Jerusalem. Both are not true.

The Jerusalem artichoke tuber has a slightly sweet and nut-like flavor and looks similar to the root of ginger. The term “artichoke” is Arabic, meaning thistle. The word “Jerusalem” was a mistranslation from the word girasola which means “turning toward the sun.” This was a reference to the sunflower. The Jerusalem artichoke tuber is called sunchoke or sunroot.

The food industry loves this tuber because it can be used to make alcohol or also for fructose. Health food stores carry the vegetable in their produce section and consumers love them because they stay fresh for up to a week.

Jerusalem artichokes are often recommended for diabetics because they contain a starch that does not affect blood sugar levels.

But it’s not just the diabetics that value the inulin in the Jerusalem artichoke. Dieters do, too. By being a non-digestible carbohydrate, inulin helps promote the balance of good bacteria in the intestinal tract by serving as their ‘food’. Inulin helps increase mineral absorption and is great for boosting cardiovascular health and immune system function. The plant is high in iron, vitamin B-1 (thiamine), vitamin B-3 (niacin), and potassium.