Chinese artichokes are actually tubers from the mint family, found in China and Japan. They are difficult to prepare but have a nutty flavor and crunchy texture. They can be pickled, served raw, or cooked in various ways. French cuisine still uses them in many dishes.
Chinese artichokes aren’t actually artichokes — they’re tubers that are part of the mint family and are found in China and Japan. The term “Chinese artichoke” refers to the root of the plant, found underground. They go by many names, such as the biological term stachys affinis, the chorogi, the knot or the crosne. While the plant itself is said to be easily grown, the edible tubers can prove difficult to tackle in the kitchen. There are many different ways Chinese artichoke can be prepared, and the food has seen a resurgence in popularity.
Many consider the Chinese artichoke’s appearance strange and have likened the tuber to anything from a mottled array of pearls to chess pieces to petrified worms: the plant’s appearance has one of its many names, the knot. The bushy plant that grows above ground has a dark green color and grows an average of 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall between the March and October seasons. It produces white or pink flowers that can appear pointed. The plant is generally considered easy to grow, although adequate moisture and space are required to produce large tubers. Once the root takes hold, however, uprooting the plant from the garden can prove difficult, as the roots grow deep and keep popping up each season.
The popularity of the Chinese artichoke first began in 1880 near Crosne, France, that’s why “Crosne” is one of the monikers by which the tuber is known. The plant was reportedly imported from Beijing by a French doctor. French cuisine still uses it in many Japanese or Japanese dishes. It is also often used in osechi, the foods prepared for the Japanese New Year which each have a specific meaning.
The nutty flavor and crunchy texture of the Chinese artichoke and its tendency to be treated like a vegetable in cooking determine the various ways food can be prepared. In China, the tuber is often pickled and used in salads or as an appetizer. It can also be cleaned, but not peeled, and served raw in salads, as a side dish on hors d’oeuvres, or as a light snack on its own. Virtually any preparation used for vegetables can be applied to cooking Chinese artichokes—they can be steamed, sautéed, cooked in soups, or baked.
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