ABSTRACT
Jerusalem artichoke is primarily originated in North America. In the early 17th century, it was introduced in Europe and widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. It is cultivated to a lesser extent in high-altitude places like the Caribbean, Malaysia and East and West Africa. Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial erect hardy plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, which also includes lettuce, sunflower and globe artichoke. Jerusalem artichoke green tops provide a good amount of protein, fibre and mineral matters and tubers provide carbohydrates in the form of inulin. Jerusalem artichoke is mainly grown for consumption as human food, alcohol and fructose production and livestock fodder purposes. Its tubers are used in ways similar to potato. The tubers contain carbohydrates in the form of inculin and laevulin, which are especially suitable for diabetic patients since these are readily metabolized as the natural sugar laevulose.
