View source for Yacon

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Asteraceae
|genus=Smallanthus
|species=sonchifolius
|common_name=Yacón
|name_ref=Wikipedia
|habit=herbaceous
|habit_ref=Wikipedia
|Max ht box=2
|Max ht metric=m
|height_ref=Wikipedia
|lifespan=perennial
|life_ref=Wikipedia
|exposure=sun
|features=edible
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Yacon.jpg
|image_width=180
|image_caption=Roots of Yacón
}}
The '''Yacón''' is a [[perennial plant]] grown in the [[Andes]] of [[Perú]] for its crisp, sweet-tasting [[tubers]]. The texture and flavour have been described as a cross between a fresh apple and watermelon which is why it is sometimes referred to as the apple of the earth. The tuber is composed mostly of water and [[fructooligosaccharide|fructo-oligosaccharides]].  It has recently been introduced into farmers' markets and natural food stores in the [[United States|US]]. 

Commonly called "[[jicama]]" in Ecuador, yacón is sometimes confused with this unrelated plant. Yacón is actually a close relative of the [[sunflower]] and [[Jerusalem artichoke]]. The plants produce propagation roots and storage tubers. Propagation roots grow just under the soil surface and produce new growing points that will become next year's aerial parts. These roots resemble Jerusalem artichokes. Storage tubers are large and edible. 

These edible tubers contain [[inulin]], an indigestible sugar, which means that although they have a sweet flavor, the tubers contain fewer [[calories]] than would be expected. 

Yacón plants can grow to over 2 meters in height and produce small, yellow inconspicuous [[flower]]s at the end of the growing season. Unlike many other root vegetables domesticated by the Indigenous Peoples of the Andes ([[olluco]], [[oca]]), the yacón is not photoperiod sensitive, and can produce a commercial yield in the tropics.