What is the difference between sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke? The benefits and harms of these plants and their scope

With the advent of new types of vegetables in our country, different cultures can be confused. For example, both sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke, the underground parts are edible - tubers, there are several names, but different fruiting times.

The article discusses in detail their similarities and differences according to various criteria: appearance, place of growth, chemical composition, area of ​​application, as well as talk about useful and harmful properties and how to choose useful root crops.

What it is: a brief definition and a botanical description

Sweet potato

Sweet potato (another name is “sweet potato”) is a tuberous plant of the genus Ipomoea of ​​the Vyunkov family. This is a thermophilic grassy vine with creeping stems and a bush height of 15-18 cm. Heart-shaped leaves on long cuttings. With a thickening of the lateral roots, edible tubers are formed with white, purple, yellow, cream, red pulp. The weight of such a tuber is from 200 g to 3 kg.

Usually propagated by shoots of germinated tubers. It rarely blooms, some varieties never need to be pollinated by bees. The flowers are large funnel-shaped, white, pale lilac, pink.

Earth pear

Jerusalem artichoke is also known by the names "earthen pear", "Jerusalem artichoke." Herbaceous tuberiferous perennial of the genus Sunflower, Astra family. It has a powerful and deep root system, forming edible tubers on underground shoots that can be eaten.

The stems reach a height of 40 cm to 4 m, they are straight and strong with branching at the top and pubescent leaves. It can grow in partial shade, and even on poor acidic soils. Blossoms in the European part of Russia in August - October, on one stem up to 10-15 yellow and golden yellow flowers collected in baskets.

Is it the same or not?

Plants are often confused taking for one look with different names, but if you start to compare them with each other, you will find many differences.

What is the difference?

Earthen pear and sweet potato differ not only in taste and appearance, but also in other properties.

Appearance

Plants differ in bush height, type and size of leaves and flowers. Sweet potato tubers are smooth, oblong in shape up to 30 cm long. They have thin skin of almost all colors of the rainbow without eyes, delicate flesh. The taste can be from fresh to sweet. In Jerusalem artichoke, they are curved and bumpy, the color varies from white to dark yellow. To taste, nodules are similar to turnips or cabbage stalk.

Place of growth

The homeland of sweet potato is Peru and Colombia, from where it spread to Polynesia and New Zealand by water and birds. Later it spread to other regions, but it is especially widely grown in China, India, Indonesia.

Jerusalem artichoke has long been bred by Indians; it came to Europe and Russia from North America. Now in many countries it is considered a weed and even a quarantine object. Widely distributed in the European part of Russia.

Chemical composition

Sweet potato contains sucrose, fructose, glucose, which gives a sweet taste to the fruit.

• It is rich in retinol, vitamins of group B.
• It contains a lot of potassium and calcium.

Sweet potato contains 86 kcal per 100 grams of product, which is 1.5 times more than potatoes. The composition of tubers may vary depending on the variety and place of growth.

Earthen pear tubers are similar in composition to potatoes, contain:

• inulin;
• protein;
• fructose;
• nitrogenous substances;
• vitamins B and C;
• carotene.

Benefit and harm

Due to the high content of retinol (more than in carrots) Sweet potatoes are useful for maintaining immunity and the normal synthesis of sex hormones. Fruits with purple flesh contain anthocyanins, which have antioxidant properties. When eating, you need to consider that sweet potato tubers have a laxative effect.

The usefulness of Jerusalem artichoke is a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora. Including it in the diet can cure various digestive disorders. It inhibits the development of harmful microorganisms in the human intestines, helps get rid of toxins and normalizes the activity of the digestive tract. Due to the presence of inulin in the composition, it can be used for diabetes.

Raw Jerusalem artichoke can cause discomfort in the abdomen, it is also contraindicated in case of individual intolerance and cholelithiasis.

We suggest watching a video about the beneficial properties of sweet potato:

We suggest watching a video about the useful properties of Jerusalem artichoke:

Application area

Thanks to the sweet taste, sweet potato has become a frequent guest on the table, many recipes with it were invented.

• From its tubers make:
  1. flour;
  2. molasses;
  3. alcohol.
• From seed make a coffee drink.
• Stems and leaves You can feed livestock, as well as make compost from them.
• Starch from sweet potato is also used in medicine.

Jerusalem artichoke is used as human food and as a forage crop, increasing milk yield and egg production in domestic animals. In hunting farms as fodder support for game. In the United States, Jerusalem artichoke is a substitute for coffee, which resembles chicory in quality.

Which is better to choose?

Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial crop, prone to overgrowth, yielding crops in the fall. Tubers can be stored in the ground without digging until frost, so they can winter well until spring. This is an unpretentious culture, resistant to temperature extremes. But if you need a crop in the summer, then it is better to plant a sweet potato. It does not tolerate even small frosts, but it can grow in a container, however, it should be at least 30 liters in volume.

By taste, the sweet potato certainly wins, so so many recipes were invented with it. Both plants have their own advantages and disadvantages that need to be weighed when choosing.

Watch the video: What Role Does our Microbiome Play in a Healthy Diet? - with Tim Spector (May 2024).