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I am selling Red Smallanthus sonchifolius - yacón crowns/divisions.
$10 for a piece or pieces roughly measuring 4”x4” plus USPS $16.10 priority mail shipping.
Yacón is a sunflower relative from the Andes from Columbia to Northern Argentina. It is grown as a perennial in subtropical to tropical climates and as an annual in temperate climates.
The crowns themselves are red and white and look like sunchokes and are used as the propagative material. The part you eat is actually a starchy white fleshed storage tuber that grows below the crowns. They are eaten raw and the flavor reminds one of watermelon and the texture is somewhere between firm melon and tender jicama.
The Spanish term yacón, derived from the Quéchua word “Yaku” which means “watery”, is the most used worldwide. Interestingly, Yacón roots’ water content usually exceeds 70% of the fresh weight. So juicy!
They are sweet enough that they are being used to make a healthy sugar substitute in the form of a beautiful emerald green syrup. We freeze them to help thicken & sweeten up smoothies. You can also dehydrate or juice them.
Yacón’s best features are not only that it is a beautiful ornamental plant with large triangular shaped leaves it is also a prebiotic, high in fiber and high in fructooligosacharides and may be effective in treating colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
See this article for scientific research on Yacón:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4963912/Please PM if interested.
