Yacón: The Ingredient Edit

A VERY UNUSUAL VEGETABLE FROM THE KITCHEN GARDEN AT THYME

What is yacon?

Thyme’s founder, Caryn Hibbert discovered the yacón root (meaning “water root” in the Inca language and also known as the Peruvian ground apple) from her South American sister–in-law about 10 years ago. Always keen to learn more, she researched it on her return to The Cotswolds and decided that there had to be a place for it in her abundant kitchen garden at Thyme. The yacón – a native of the Andean spine of South America – is a species of perennial daisy. It’s the tubers that are eaten – tasting sweet and floral. The nearest thing we have to a yacón in this country is a Jerusalem artichoke (from the same family). Better raw than cooked, it is delicious and has several qualities that make it a highly desirable addition to our winter larder.

At the moment, there isn't much in the kitchen garden at Thyme - only the sturdiest of vegetables can withstand the frost. The cold weather divides the resilient, least precious vegetables with the more temperamental, and the yacón is one of those select few. When first unearthed, it looks like a very grubby baking spud - roundish and knobbly, thoroughly caked in rich black dirt. After a rinse and a fierce scrub, a thin magenta pink skin is revealed.

Why is yacon good for us?

The yacón is a member of the sunflower family and a relative of the Jerusalem artichoke. Indigenous to South America, it's prized for its tuberous roots, but the leaves can also be eaten and used in herbal teas. The sweet taste of the yacón comes from fructooligosaccharide (or FOS), a complex sugar molecule that is indigestible - it has no calories - this makes the yacón a healthy option for diabetics. The sugars from the yacón also nourish the good bacteria in the gut, which benefits our general wellbeing, digestive and immune systems.

How do we eat yacon?

Having never used the yacón before, Matt (head chef at The Swan in 2016) experimented. First, he tried roasting the yacón like a Jerusalem artichoke ... It didn't taste right. He found the key was to keep it raw - it doesn't need to be peeled and can be used in all kind of salads. The taste is somewhere between a crunchy cox apple and a slightly under-ripe pear with a subtle grassy flavour; a fresh, crisp contrast to the stodgy (albeit completely delicious) root veg that makes up so much of our diet come winter.

This super-vegetable may be found on the Ox Barn menu during the early winter months, so come and try it for yourself.