Yacon syrup ✦

Sirop de yacon

What it is

The root stores its sugar as fructo-oligosaccharides rather than starch or sucrose — chains the human gut cannot break down, so most of the sweetness passes straight through. Andean growers ate the root raw as fruit long before anyone reduced its juice; French still calls the plant poire de terre, the ground pear.

In the kitchen

It will not caramelise and will not crystallise, so keep it out of confectionery entirely. Use it where you want dark sweetness that stays pourable: a vinaigrette, a barbecue glaze brushed on after the heat, a spoonful over yoghurt.

Goes with

Lime Chili pepper Peanut Coffee Yogurt Cocoa nibs Ginger Orange

Same species

Yacon

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