Jerusalem artichoke are a species of sunflower grown for their tuber. 

Jerusalem artichoke are a species of sunflower grown for their tuber. 
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Six Veges That Prove Beauty Does Not Equate with Goodness

Confucius may have been on to something when he said "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." Here are six not-so-gorgeous root vegetables that are worth tasting.

As eating habits become more vege-centric, there’s renewed interest in some of the lesser known root vegetables that don’t sell themselves on looks yet offer textural and flavourful appeal, not to mention a boost of nutrition, colour, complexity and creativity on the plate. What’s more, veg-forward dishes encourage more inherently seasonal eating and making use of as much as possible. ‘Root-to-stem’ cooking, for example sautéing kohlrabi leaves,  is the new  ‘nose-to-tail’. 

Kohlrabi

It may look like a cartoon alien with its pale green or purple orb with antennae, yet kohlrabi turns up on the most sophisticated tables. Also known as German turnip, this funny-looking vegetable related to the brassica family is nutrition royalty. Its surprising taste is between radish and apple with a delicate sweetness and a faint pepperiness. Its alluring crispness makes it a top-notch crudité as well as a salad mainstay. Three-Michelin-star chef Hélène Darroze embraces kohlrabi at her Connaught restaurant in London, serving it in a delicate salad starter with green apple, avocado, langoustine and a little caviar.

Kohlrabi has a thick skin that needs to be peeled away and the fibrous layer underneath needs to be removed as well. The leaves can be chopped and sauteed like spinach or other leafy greens.

Salsify

Looking like a grubby, over-sized pencil with masses of earth clinging to its skin, it is quite the surprise to discover that salsify has a delicate, slightly sweet taste that many find reminiscent of an oyster. It is even sometimes known as the oyster plant though it is actually a member of the dandelion family.

Salsify appeared to reach its apogee in the 19th century, though much-loved London chef-proprietor Jeremy Lee of Quo Vadis remains a devoted fan. One of his signature dishes is salsify, simmered, then wrapped in feuilles de brick, pastry sheets similar to filo. 

Celeriac

This large scraggly green white orb isn’t exactly glamorous, yet within, its covetable creamy white interior is low in carbs and calories and endlessly versatile. Great as a mash with lots of mustard & crème fraîche, celeriac also makes good chunky chips and even celeriac latkes. Unlike potato it has no starch and is high in vitamin K for bone and brain health.

Celeriac has been trending for a while now – it has become almost a badge of culinary honour to serve salt-baked celeriac cooked on a Big Green Egg barbecue. It tastes a little like celery to which it is related though it has a distinctive sweet earthiness.

Celeriac is somewhat challenging to prepare because the thick skin is hard to peel. The knobby bits at the bottom where the roots grow need to be trimmed because dirt gets trapped there. Choose a medium rather than a very large celeriac as the whoppers are more likely to be hollow and wooly inside.

Yam

Such is the respect given to the highly nutritious African yam, which is rich in fibre, manganese, potassium and vitamin C, that traditionally the Igbo in Nigeria dedicated a whole festival to it. They consumed a veritable mountain of yams before an evening of singing and dancing in praise of the harvest. The cylindrical tubers have a thick, dark, bark-like skin that must be removed, with a starchy white flesh. Yams are often pounded and served as fufu, customarily eaten by hand, in pinches from a serving tray, rolled into bowls and eaten with a soup or stew. An East Asian yam variety called Nagaimo has dark hairy skin and white flesh, and unlike other yams it can be eaten raw.

Ube or purple yam is typical in Filipino and other Asian cuisine and has become a fashionable dessert ingredient with its vibrant purple colour, often as soft-serve ice-cream which brings out its nutty almost chestnut flavour.

Jicama

Originally from Mexico, the jicama or Mexican turnip looks rather like a rotten pear. Although the root is safe to eat, the rest of the plant (beans included) is toxic. The white flesh has a mild, subtly sweet taste, what makes it enticing is that it retains its crispness when cooked but can also be eaten raw in salads or with dips. In Mexico it is added to a fruit salad of mango, pineapple, watermelon and cucumber, seasoned with lime juice and chilli.

Jicama is a somewhat undiscovered superfood: a healthful source of fibre, it has a low glycemic index, is dense in nutrients yet low in calories and fat.

Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem artichokes aren’t from Jerusalem and they aren’t artichokes. Technically, they’re a species of sunflower grown for their tuber. The caveat is they can be challenging for some people to digest, hence their nickname: fartichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are notoriously knobbly and tough to peel, yet the reward is a subtle mushroom and hazelnut flavour that enhances salads or can be roasted, boiled, or mashed (authentic truffle oil marvelously enhances the flavour). Jerusalem artichoke purée makes an excellent partner for fish – and a match that chefs are inordinately fond of serving.

Jerusalem artichokes aren’t from Jerusalem, and they aren’t artichokes
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Jerusalem artichokes aren’t from Jerusalem, and they aren’t artichokes
Sudi Pigott
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