Is Yacon a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Is Yacon a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Yacon can generally be eaten as a vegetable or as a fruit. Generally, the edible part of yacon grows underground. Yacon is a long-day plant and generally begins to mature and be available on the market in late October in autumn.

Nutritional value of yacon

Yacon has a crisp texture and contains a lot of juice. It generally tastes sweet. It is usually delicious to eat it directly after peeling it or with yogurt. It can also be cut into pieces and stewed with pork ribs.

Yacon contains oligofructose, which is a kind of sugar but is not absorbed by the human body. Therefore, it is very suitable for diabetic patients. In addition, yacon contains many kinds of amino acids and vitamins, which are good for the body.

Yacon Origin and Planting

The area of ​​yacon cultivation is relatively wide. The main producing areas are generally Yunnan, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan and Fujian. Among them, the yacon produced in Yunnan is the best. Yunnan’s unique climate environment allows yacon to grow well.

The best time to plant yacon is in spring, generally in late March. The planting time is not suitable for more than April. Yacon prefers to grow in a medium to low temperature environment and is more suitable for planting in moist sandy soil.