"Dwaeji Gamja"/돼지감자, in English is Sunroot,Sunchoke,Earth Apple or Toponambour. In Korea, we do eat it as salad,pickle,blend it with yogurt, etc.It has also been reported as a folk remedy for diabetes
"Dwaeji Gamja"/돼지감자，中文名字称为菊芋，洋姜。在韩国，我们用它来当沙拉材料，腌渍它，或与yogurt一起搅拌来吃，等等。菊芋對人體健康有莫大好處，最明顯就是降血糖。
The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable
The flowers are yellow and produced in capitate flowerheads, which are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in diameter, with 10–20 ray florets.
The tubers are elongated and uneven, typically 7.5–10 cm (3.0–3.9 in) long and 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) thick, and vaguely resembling ginger root in appearance, with a crisp texture when raw. They vary in colour from pale brown to white, red, or purple.
The artichoke contains about 10% protein, no oil, and a surprising lack of starch. However, it is rich in the carbohydrate inulin (76%), which is a polymer of the monosaccharide fructose. Tubers stored for any length of time will convert their inulin into its component fructose. Jerusalem artichokes have an underlying sweet taste because of the fructose, which is about one and a half times sweeter than sucrose
Unlike most tubers, but in common with many other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), the tubers store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch. For this reason, Jerusalem artichoke tubers are an important source of inulin used as a dietary fiber in food manufacturing.
The tubers are sometimes used as a substitute for potatoes: they have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor; raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad. The carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become soft and mushy if boiled, but they retain their texture better when steamed.
菊芋（学名：Helianthus tuberosus），也称洋薑、鬼子薑，是一种菊科向日葵属宿根性草本植物。原产北美洲，十七世纪传入欧洲，后传入中国。
秋季开花，长有黄色的小盘花，但结籽率低，长江以南可形成种子，生产上一般用块茎繁殖。其地下块茎富含淀粉、菊糖，可以食用，也可盐渍，或作制取淀粉和酒精原料。地上茎也可加工作饲料。菊芋被联合国粮农组织官员称为“21世纪人畜共用作物”。
菊芋對人體健康有莫大好處，最明顯就是降血糖及幫助修身。首先菊芋含有一種物質，有胰島素作用，能調節血糖，平衡血糖值，日本人將菊芋廣泛應用於糖尿病人身上，得到顯著改善病情，嗜甜或喜歡澱粉質人士，亦可考慮菊芋作為健康食品，防範進一步惡化而患上糖尿病，血糖正常，亦可避免暴飲暴食，此外，菊芋含有大量纖維，可令腸道加促蠕動，增加排便，另外，亦可以有飽肚作用。菊芋最特別之處是阻隔澱粉質及脂肪吸收，絶對對減磅有幫助。
（sources: wikipedia)
这是 菊芋。。。
去皮，切成片。。。
倒入酱料。。。。
Ingredients :
"Dwaeji Gamja" 1 kg
Korean soybean sauce 1 cup
vinegar 2 cups
brown sugar / white sugar 1 cup
Chinese plum syrup "매실청 2 cups ( or can use the corn syrup to substitute )( I used the plum syrup that I made )
l piece of kelp, about 10 x 10 cm
dried red pepper 2 pieces
Method :
1. Peel the skin of the sunroots, wash and drain.
2. Slice the sunroots into pieces.
3. Boil the soybean sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, syrup, kelp and dried red pepper together for about 5 minutes. Set aside, till cool.
4. Put the sunroots in a glass container, pour in the boiled sauce, make sure that the sauce must cover the surface of the sunroots.
5. Close the lid of the container and store it in the refrigerator for about 2 days.
6. Pour out the sauce from the container and let the sliced sunroots to remain in the container.
7. Boil the sauce again, set aside, till cool.
8. Pour the boiled sauce in the container again and store in the refrigerator again for about 2-3 days. The longer the period, the taste will be more better and delicious.
材料：
菊芋 1 kg
韩式酱清 1 杯
醋 2 杯
黄糖或白糖 1 杯
梅汁或麦芽糖 2 杯 （ 我是用自己酿的梅汁）
一片海苔 10 x 10 cm
辣椒干 2 条
方法 ：
1. 去皮，洗净，待干。
2. 切成片。
3. 将酱清，醋， 黄糖，梅汁/麦芽糖，海苔，辣椒干，煮约 5 分钟。 待冷备用。
4. 将菊芋放入玻璃容器，倒入酱汁，一定要盖过菊芋的表面。
5. 盖上盖，放入冰箱，约 2 天。
6. 倒出酱汁，再煮一次。待冷。
7. 倒入容器，再放入冰箱， 约 2 - 3 天。 时间越久，味道会更好
