Jerusalem Artichoke

This capricious tuber hides an addictive scent of artichoke heart and roasted hazelnut. It contains very little starch, but enormous quantities of inulin (a complex sugar). During slow steaming, this inulin breaks down under thermal action into fructose, endowing the vegetable with intense sweetness and an extraordinarily creamy texture. Roasting it with its thin, scrubbed skin is preferred to maximize Maillard reactions and develop its woody aroma.