Yacon

Yacon is native to South America and grown in the Andes for centuries. Also known as Peruvian Ground Apple Yacon was consumed by ancient cultures incl. the Incas on a regular basis. The outside of these sweet tasting tubers is tan, brownish or even purple brown.

Depending on the variety the inside can be white, yellow, orange or purple. The texture and flavor are described as a cross between a fresh apple and a watermelon or cucumber.

Yacon is sweet, juicy and crunchy. The tubers can be eaten raw, finely sliced and mixed into salads, boiled or baked, fried as chips or prepared as a pickle. Traditionally a juice is produced from fresh Yacon which is drunk directly or concentrated to a kind of syrup that can sweeten almost anything. Yacon contains inulin, a sugar that the human body can't metabolize, making it popular as a nearly calorie free sweetener for diabetics and dieters.

The fresh tubers and natural medicines made of Yacon are assumed to be an excellent antioxidant, help control the weight and lower the blood pressure. The Syrup is supposed to boost the immune system and promote digestion.