jerusalem artichoke
jerusalem artichoke Lexical Profile
• noun
The knobby, edible root tuber of a species of North American sunflower (Helianthus tuberosus), often cooked and eaten as a root vegetable.
"The chef prepared a rich, creamy soup using roasted Jerusalem artichokes."
The tall, yellow-flowered North American sunflower plant (Helianthus tuberosus) that is cultivated for its edible tubers.
"They planted Jerusalem artichokes along the fence line, where the tall stalks could act as a natural windbreak."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its name, the plant has no connection to the city of Jerusalem and is not a true artichoke; it is always written with a capitalized 'J'.
Word Origin & Etymology
The name is a misnomer. 'Jerusalem' is believed to be a corruption of the Italian word 'girasole' (sunflower). 'Artichoke' was applied because the flavor of the tuber resembles that of the globe artichoke.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.