New fruit on the block

While some may stick to more traditional food, the Kiwi palate is developing as we increasingly turn from ‘garden variety’ fruit to more exotic fare. This week, we examine one such customer and rave on about the yakon!

What’s looks like a golden kumara but tastes nothing like one? A yakon (sometimes spelt: yacón), also known as the Peruvian ground apple amongst its many monikers.
 
Similar to a daikon in texture and crunch, but more akin to a pear’s translucent colour, the yakon is a slightly confusing tuber. I was certainly bamboozled when I saw it and further baffled by the incongruous taste which was pleasantly sweet and juicy, like a fruit. My less adventurous partner, however, could not get past its kumara-like appearance, and refused to try it!  

My green-fingered aunt gleefully introduced it to me recently and when she realised I had never encountered anything like it before, persuaded me to take one home.

She compared it to apples and water chestnuts, and, like water chestnuts, the yakon maintains its crispness when cooked. Commonly eaten raw, it is a versatile ingredient in salads, thanks to its mild flavour, and it can also be boiled, sautéed or used to make tea.  

After some research, I stumbled upon multiple articles extolling its virtues and calling it a superfood. I felt instantly healthier after scoffing a large one for dessert (albeit with a rather large dollop of cream for accompaniment!).

The Yakon is also low in calories and starch, great for diabetics – its high inulin content controls blood sugar levels – high in fibre and rich in vitamins and minerals. What more could one want, really?

Keen gardeners will find them a treat too. The tall yakon plant bears flowers that resemble sunflowers, which stands to reason seeing as it is part of the sunflower family – funny how there aren’t any edible sunflower tubers, though. And they grow well in our mild New Zealand climate.

So keep an eye out for yakons at local garden centres or supermarkets; they are definitely worth a try – especially with the wealth of health benefits this fruit has to offer.