Varieties

Jerusalem artichokes are the edible, fleshy underground stem tubers of a frost-hardy deciduous perennial herb that grows up to 6 feet/2 meters in height and has yellow sunflowerlike flowers.

You are likely to find two kinds of Jerusalem artichoke in the market: the roundish western sunchoke, which is pale beige and plump; and the midwestern or northeastern type, which is long and knobby with reddish skin. More than a dozen popular cultivars exist, however. Here are just five of them.