Yacon is a type of vegetable from South American that tastes sort of like a mix of apple, celery and pear. It is a tuber, like a potato, and can be used in much the same way. However, you can also use it like an apple in salads or eat it raw as a snack.
Nutrition Benefits
Yacon has a high water content and a high fiber content, so it is filling without having a lot of calories. It also contains antioxidants. Yacon contains a significant amount of inulin, a type of sugar that your body can't digest. This helps keep the overall caloric content of the yacon low even though it has a sweet taste. Yacon juice is sometimes made into yacon syrup, which is a low-calorie alternative sweetener available in some health food stores.
Health Benefits
The inulin content in yacon may provide a number of health benefits, including aiding in digestion and promoting beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract while inhibiting harmful organisms. Consuming yacon syrup might help you lose weight and increase insulin sensitivity, according to a study published in "Clinical Nutrition" in April 2009.
Other Benefits
Growing yacon in your garden can help improve its soil quality, because yacon increases the amount of beneficial microbes in the soil, making the soil more fertile. It can also lead to larger yields than potatoes after the first year when you have established your crop. Yacon becomes sweeter over time and can be stored for up to eight months in a cool, dry place.
Considerations
Unfortunately, it isn't easy to find yacon in stores. You will most likely have to grow your own. Only the white varieties are available in the United States, not the pink, purple, red, yellow or orange varieties. Yacon plants have a long growing season and grow in a way similar to Jerusalem artichokes. You can grow them wherever you can grow Jerusalem artichokes or parsnips.
