And Japan in all this? THE Chinese artichoke holds a place of choice in Japanese cuisine and rhizomes from this country appeared in European markets at the end of the 19th century.
A box containing the rhizomes of this plant reached the acclimatization society [in Crosne, a suburb of Paris] in the spring of 1882; Its sender was Dr. Bret-Schneider, physician to the Russian legation in Beijing. This box was given to us upon its arrival, and I was able to extract from its contents, which had largely rotted during the trip, some fairly healthy tubers which were planted in Mr. Paillieux's garden, in Crosne. From the first year each of them produced an abundant harvest, and the following year we were in possession of such a quantity of tubers that we were able to extend our crops for further development.
Désiré BOIS, professor at the Natural History Museum of Paris, 1882
Crosne or Stachys affinis is not cultivated for its leaves, unlike its cousins mint, melissa and sarriette. Rather, they are edible tubers creamy white in the shape of small rosary beads which are harvested late in autumn or early in spring.
- They are only a few centimeters long, but their fine flavor with nutty aromas fully justifies this delicate task.
The English speakers gave it the name Chinese artichoke, more representative of its true provenance. Its culture is also similar to that of the artichoke, salsify and Jerusalem artichoke.
The sportsman's vegetable!
Like sugar beets, this vegetable contains betaine which has recently become very popular among high-level athletes, in particular thanks to its role in regularization of cellular hydration and the improvement of vascular health.
- Crosne is also a good source of protein.
- Crosne contains a carbohydrate called stachyosis which can cause flatulence.
A fragile root...
Crosnes can be preserved some days in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag, and a few weeks in damp sand or peat moss, in the cold room.
- In the open air, they spoil very quickly.
For good nettoyer Earth between the bulges, we pass the tuber in water then we rub them in a cloth with coarse salt.
- A little of lemon juice can be added to the wash water to prevent the tuber from blackening.
But really delicious!
- This vegetable can be boiled or stir-fried covered in butter or chicken broth. Cooking only takes 6-7 minutes.
- Au Japan, crosne is often used in the preparation of osechis, traditional Japanese New Year dishes.
- En China, crosnes are preserved in a vinegar brine, or sometimes spiced, and served for breakfast with rice porridge.
- En Europe, we prepare it in many ways:
- raw in salads
- as a starter with lamb's lettuce, pears or apples and hazelnuts
- sautéed in oriental dishes or simply in garlic butter
- oven roasted with other root vegetables
- baked in the oven
Culture
The crosne is a hardy herbaceous perennial in zone 4, easy to grow in sun or partial shade. In colder areas, plants are covered with thick mulch during the winter.
The rhizomes are planted in spring 30 cm apart and 8 to 10 cm deep. The formation of tubers takes place during the short days of autumn and they are harvested late in autumn, when the foliage has died, or early in spring, at the same time as the Jerusalem artichokes.
It requires a rather sandy soil which stays cool, but never too humid.
- Water punctually during the heatwave, but not excessively, to prevent the plants from lacking water.
To get more large tubers, we prune the aerial parts by half when they measure 30 cm in height, and this as often as necessary during the season.
The plant rarely flowers in our regions and therefore does not reseed. However, its tubers proliferate rapidly and it becomes difficult to dislodge once it is well established.
- There are always a few tubers left in the ground and that's all the better for ensuring a new harvest the following year!
So, choose your location carefully and let it grow like asparagus.
If necessary, crosne can be grown in large container.
