Copius
Crosnes, drawn for Copius

Crosnes ✦

Crosne

Latin nameStachys affinis
FamilyVegetables
OriginChina & Japan
Season (France)November – February
FlavourNutty · Delicate · Sweet · Fresh
Typical price (France)14–25 €/kg

What it is

Little pearly tubers shaped like Michelin men, named after the village of Crosne where a French agronomist first planted them in the 1880s after bringing them back from Asia. Restaurant kitchens adore and curse them equally: exquisite crunch, maddening to clean.

In the kitchen

Don’t peel — shake them in a tea towel with coarse salt to strip the skins, then glaze them in butter barely two minutes. They should still snap.

Goes with

Butter Parsley Cream Chicken

In season alongside

Baek-kimchi Dungeness crab Belgian endive Halfbeak (sayori) Scorzonera Sea kale

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