Yacon - Smallanthus sonchifolius

A member of the sunflower family, yacon is and is traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots. Their texture and flavour are reminiscent of crispy pears or melon (The sweetness is due to the presence of inulin).  Tubers can be used raw in salads (including fruit salads) or cooked, when they retain their crispiness. They make a good addition to stir-fries, tasting a bit like water chestnuts.

Yacon plants are quite slow to get going, but by August they will be growing rapidly and can get very big if given space and rich feed. They will grow in most soil types and even in poor conditions will produce three or four kilos of tubers per plant. In a well-worked soil with plenty of organic matter, you can expect 7  to 10 kilos per plant. Tubers are best dug shortly after the foliage has been totally killed off by winter frosts. After the tubers have been removed, the crown can be stored over winter in cool, dry, frost-free conditions, then divided in spring to make new plants.