Harvesting topinamburs from the Traversine-Villiot garden, Paris

With the children of the center Paris Anim’ (CLAJE), we collected the topinamburs (or Jerusalem artichokes) of the garden of Traversine-Villiot.

They were each able to leave with a bag of several topinamburs that they had collected themselves. We prepared an explanatory sheet on topinambur to better understand this vegetable and how it can be eaten. 

Jerusalem artichokes are native to North America. They grow tall and produce large stalks that can reach 2 to 3 metres, similar to sunflowers. 

But like potatoes, it is the tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke that are eaten, produced by their roots. They can be eaten cooked in the same way as potatoes or raw in a vinaigrette, for example, and are a great addition to soups.

Their taste is reminiscent of artichokes, which is why the Anglo-Saxons call them “Jerusalem artichokes”.