Vegetable: Jerusalem Artichoke

Recipes:
Jerusalem artichoke soup
Jerusalem artichoke with tomato sauce
Sausages in a bag with Jerusalem artichokes

Type: It's never been to the Middle East and it isn't an artichoke. It's actually related to the sunflower family.

Vitamin and mineral content: Vitamins A and C, phosphorus and potassium.

Reputedly good for: Gastric afflictions such as constipation. It'll also make the forecast rather windy …

Availability: October to March.

Storage: Don't worry about the lumps and bumps, but avoid squidges, sprouts and wrinkles. They'll keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Preparation: For full nutritional impact, don't peel your JAs. Thinly sliced, they can be stir-fried or even eaten raw. Otherwise, treat as a weirdly shaped potato.

Origins: Native of North America, they found their way to Europe thanks to French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1605. He described the taste as being similar to an artichoke, which may explain the second part of the name. 'Jerusalem' is probably a mispronunciation of the Italian word 'girasole', meaning 'sunflower'.