The Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) was discovered in a Native American garden by some of the first settlers. They called them sunroots, but the settlers thought they tasted like artichokes.
Since this shows that they are not from Jerusalem, how did they get the name? Settlers liked them so much, they sent the roots to France and Italy where farmers propagated them. The Italian word for sunflower is "girasole", and this is where the Jerusalem might have been corrupted.
Of course, no one is absolutely sure this is correct. However, we do know that people in Europe ate these roots and rejected potatoes for a long time. They regarded the potato with suspision and preferred the light brown color of the Jerusalem Artichoke. The Artichoke lost popularity when people began to believe it caused leprosy due to the look of the root. The mottled brown color and finger-like tubers were thought to look like the shrivled hands of lepers. It was then that the potato caught on as a sustainable crop and the Artichoke faded into history.
Today, the Jerusalem Artichoke can be easily grown and cultivated. The tubers are a little harder to dig up than a potato, but the flowers look terrific in a garden. They get tall, so be prepared to stake! And, you only need one tuber to get started. They spread FAST! Harvest the roots in the fall and cook the tubers like potatoes, but introduce them slowly. The starch in them is not easily digested by everyone, but the belly gets used to it. The tubers have a crisp, nutty flavor and texture reminiscent of water chestnuts. Delicious...bon appetite!
