Crosne

Stachys affinis · Root vegetable

40 pairings

The crosne (Stachys affinis), also called Chinese artichoke or Japanese artichoke, is the small ivory tuber of a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Knobbly, segmented and spiral-shaped, it is eaten as a crisp, sweet-nutty root vegetable prized in French and Japanese cooking.

Picking a good onedrag

Just lifted, ivory and snappingShrivelled, browned, soft in the rings

Market freshThe all-rounder: raw, blanched a minute, sauteed in butter, or pickled. Scrub the soil out of the rings first. The sugar here is stachyose, which digests poorly, so a big raw plateful bloats some people.Everyday best

SkinCream to pale beige, a few tan scuffs

The snapFirm, snaps under a little pressure

The tipsA tip or two dried and browned

Smell at the scrubbed skinMostly plain earth, only faintly sweet

What to look for, from just lifted, ivory and snapping to shrivelled, browned, soft in the rings.

Preparing