New Foods (at least to me): Crosnes

New Foods (at least to me): Crosnes

At the Oak Park Farmer’s Market, and always on the lookout for new gustatory sensations (or any other type of sensation, come to think of it), I spotted at Nichols today a food I don’t believe I’d ever seen before: crosnes. They’re pronounced “crones” which conjures either an image of seasonally appropriate witches or a gastrointestinal malady, neither very appealing…and yet, this was new food, and so I had to eat some.

I bought a small container from Nichols (three bucks), and while I did, Pa Nichols explained that he had grown them for a French chef in Chicago (name uncertain) who prepared them in many ways, including sautéing.



I ate them raw, and they have a very crisp, moist, slightly celery-like flavor, with a hint of j’ai ne sais quoi.



A little googling revealed that they got their name from a suburb of Paris, and that they’re heirloom members of the mint family. I’m assuming they’re the roots of some mint plant: they’re definitely tubers and although their name and look (somewhat wormy and gnarly) are somewhat off-putting, they’d be nice in a salad in autumn (their main period of availability).
Crosnes seem to have been introduced in Europe near end of the nineteenth century, and there’s is a mention of crosnes in 1892 issue of Garden and Forest, where these pearl-like roots are described as having “a rather high proportion of albuminous and gummy substances, and therefore constitute a not altogether despicable food,” which is today’s winner of the Damning by Faint Praise Award.

Hammond

I got these from Nichols a few years back - he said it their first season with them, and because they're so small, they're a real pain to harvest (he might be getting bigger ones now, having grown them for a few years).

According to The Visual Food Encyclopedia (highly recommended, MacMillan, © 1996), they're very perishable, and can be prepared like salify or Jerusalem artichoke.

"The swollen tuber of a perennial garden plantoriginally from Japan, the crosne (also known as Chinese artichoke and Japanese artichoke) was introduced into France in 1882, where at one time was grown on a large scale in the village of Crosne, hence its name.Although very popular in Europe between1890 and 1920, crosnes are seldom consumed there today and are virtually unknown in North America. They are much more common in Asia.... Their delicate, slightly sweet taste is reminiscent of salify or artichoke"

I just ate them blanched, but they're supposed to be very good pickled, too. I'll ask about them at Nichols/Evanston next week - you've whetted my appetite (admittedly, not a tough thing to accomplish).

David Hammond wrote:...they’re heirloom members of the mint family. I’m assuming they’re the roots of some mint plant: they’re definitely tubers...

That's a relief. They looked like members of the mealworm family.

JoelF wrote:

David Hammond wrote:...they’re heirloom members of the mint family. I’m assuming they’re the roots of some mint plant: they’re definitely tubers...

That's a relief. They looked like members of the mealworm family.

They do look beastly (though that may be part of the attraction for some around here! ) but I'm intrigued and would like to try them. Thanks DH and #706 for expanding my vegetable horizons.

Antonius

As part of an encounter with Hammond, I had a chance to try these last night and I found that I really liked them. I find the flavor more similar to a French breakfast radish. I think they would be delicious with some crusty bread, fresh cheese, and sea salt.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:As part of an encounter with Hammond, I had a chance to try these last night and I found that I really liked them. I find the flavor more similar to a French breakfast radish. I think they would be delicious with some crusty bread, fresh cheese, and sea salt.

Best,
Michael

I agree completely. Once you get past their appearance, they're really quite tasty!

eatchicago wrote:I think they would be delicious with some crusty bread, fresh cheese, and sea salt.

Best,
Michael

What wouldn't be delicious with crusty bread, fresh cheese, and sea salt?

Sorry for the late bump but have there been any recent crosne sighings?

I just happened across a reference on crosnes, did some research and idly typed it into the LTH search. Lo-and-behold, a lengthy thread with photos and possible local vendor. This place gets better and better.

JoelF wrote:

David Hammond wrote:...they’re heirloom members of the mint family. I’m assuming they’re the roots of some mint plant: they’re definitely tubers...

That's a relief. They looked like members of the mealworm family.

Actually, they reminded me of Chinese Caterpillar Fungus (Cordyceps sinensis)



Per Wikipedia:

"a result of a parasitic relationship between a Cordyceps fungus and a caterpillar, (usually Thitarodes) found in southwestern mountains of China. As the fungi invades, it grows off larvae and the end result is desiccated caterpillar shell, with a fungal fruiting body attached."

Mom used to put 'em in Chinese chicken herbal soup... I always thought they looked like caterpillars... She insisted it was a plant... looks like we were both right, blech.

BrendanR wrote:Sorry for the late bump but have there been any recent crosne sighings?

Actually, I think it's an early bump; I've yet to see any of these little guys at the OP Farmer's Market.