Jerusalem artichoke

Topinambour

What it is

Neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke — a sunflower tuber named, in French, after the Tupinambá people paraded in Paris in 1613. Wartime France ate so much of it that a generation refused to touch it again; chefs like Alain Passard rehabilitated it, roasting it with hazelnuts until the two become indistinguishable.

In the kitchen

No need to peel: scrub, roast hard, finish with crushed hazelnuts and brown butter. Its inulin rewards moderation at the first tasting.

Goes with

Hazelnut Black truffle Cream Chicken Chestnut Parsley

Same species

Sunflower lecithin Sunflower honey Sunflower oil Sunflower seed Sunflower shoots

In season alongside

Brussels sprout Butternut squash Cauliflower Kabocha Pardailhan black turnip Parsnip

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