Yacon

Last year, I tried to grow sweet potato in the green house, harvested some leaves but failed to have decent tubers. Concluded that summer here is not hot enough to grow sweet potato.

 

white yacon

red yacon

Learned from a local on-line veg growing course that yacon can be grown here, very productive and is a healthy veg/fruit. It is the first time I came across this plant, quick search found out that it is from South America, in the daisy family, and is a pre-biotic.

 

Very interested, I ordered some to taste and some growing tips to grow. There are two varieties, one white and one red skinned, both white inside. They are runchy and juicy, only mildly sweet, like a cross between pear, sugar cane and water chestnut, with the red skin one having a denser texture. Nice to eat raw as fruit or quick cooked, like water chestnut, but much easier to peel.