I remember the first time I tasted a Sunchoke, and I was amazed that I had never heard of this fabulous food before. Nutritious and tasty, these tantalizing tubers are known by many names: Jerusalem artichoke, sunroot, earth apple, topinambour. Are you curious to learn more about these fascinating vegetables? Read on to find out just what IS a Sunchoke?

What IS a Sunchoke?

Sunchokes look like ginger, can be cooked like a potato, and taste like an artichoke. Sunchokes are the roots of a species of sunflower. They have a light-beige to tan colored skin and a crisp, juicy, ivory-colored flesh. When raw, they have a texture similar to chestnuts and a sweet nutty flavor. You can find sunchokes year-round from local organic farms in Northern California such as Coke Farms. Look for them peaking in fall and early spring. In fact, it’s always good to know where your food comes from. Find out why here.

Why should you eat a Sunchoke?

These riveting roots are chocked (or should i say choked?) full of nutrients like iron, potassium, thiamin and phosphorus. Largely, the nutritional value of organic vegetables comes from the soil and that matters. Also, sunchokes are low-calorie, high in fiber and low-starch which are great for your digestive system! Like most foods eating them raw is best because of all the amazing benefits. Finally, Sunchokes are incredibly versatile, and can be used in place of almost any root vegetable like carrots, celery root,  parsnips, or turnips.

How do you eat a Sunchoke?

Sunchokes can be eaten raw (and you should be eating more raw foods anyway!) sliced up in salads, baked, boiled or pureed into a soup. To prepare, scrub under running water to remove the thin skin. Then slice, or mash as you would a potato. Sunchokes will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month if wrapped in plastic. Try these healthy Homemade Baked Sunchoke Chips  or this vegetarian Roasted Sunchoke Soup.

Are you ready to try this versatile tuber? Get sunchokes delivered straight to your doorstep with an organic produce delivery service like Golden Gate Organics. Sign up for the service here or, if you are curious how it works, learn more about how to use an organic produce delivery service.