Burdock
Roots and tubers from northerly members of
the lettuce family share three characteristics:
an abundance of fructose-based
carbohydrates, little starch, and a mild flavor
reminiscent of the true artichoke (also a
lettuce relative). The fructose carbohydrates
(small-chain fructosans and starch-like inulin)
provide both an energy store and an antifreeze
mechanism for the overwintering plants.
Humans don’t have the enzymes necessary to
digest fructose chains, so beneficial bacteria
in our intestines feed on them instead, in the
process generating carbon dioxide and other
gases that can cause abdominal discomfort if
we’ve eaten a large portion of these
vegetables.
The sunchoke is the nonfibrous, plump
tuber of a North American sunflower
(Helianthus tuberosus), whose traditional and
obscure name is “Jerusalem artichoke.” It’s