JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
(Helianthus tuberosus)
The Jerusalem artichoke has absolutely nothing to do with either
Jerusalem nor true artichokes.
The first part of its name is due to the process of folk etymology.
When it was first discovered, it was called Girasole, which is
the Italian word for sunflower (it refers to the way in which
the flowers turn towards the sun). The Jerusalem artichoke is
a type of the sunflower, in the same genus as the garden sunflower
Helianthus annuus.
Later people thought that Girasole sounded like Jerusalem, so
they called it that. In recent years, many people have taken to
calling them sunchokes to avoid this confusion. The second part
of its common name comes from its taste. The tuber, which is the
only part used, tastes like an artichoke.
Several Native American tribes used Jerusalem artichoke as food
prior to the arrival of European settlers. They referred to it
as "sun root" while the French prefer to call it
topinambour.
The French explorer Samuel de Champlain found them being grown
at Cape Cod and took Jerusalem artichokes from North America to
France in 1605. By the mid 1600s it was widely used as a human
food and livestock feed there.
As a rich source of fructooligosaccharides (a
form of carbohydrate), which stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria
in the lower intestine, the Jerusalem Artichoke is beneficial
in maintaining a healthy colon, and this high fiber vegetable
is often recommended for improving the activity of assimilations
and eliminations.
It also has the highest vegetable source of potassium
(six times that found in bananas), and is an excellent source
of high quality, low calorie, protein.
It requires no insulin hormone for its digestion, and is therefore
a safe source of carbohydrate for use by
diabetics or those suffering from low blood sugar.
An excellent source of food for all, one of its primary virtues
is a very active enzyme system. The digestive body processes receive
a direct and immediate boost. You do not have to be diabetic to
use this food, and it may help in maintaining normal body weight
when used as part of a calorie-controlled diet.
Dosage: 40 drops after each meal. In more serious
cases, one teaspoonful after meals.
Other names: sunchoke, lambchoke, girasole,
topinambour.
