Why are Jerusalem artichokes called Jerusalem artichokes?
Jerusalem artichoke or Topinambur?
Topinambur is often called “Jerusalem Artichoke” in English, and sometimes in French, for a number of reasons, all of which are linked to confusions or distortions of terms:
Taste confusion
Jerusalem artichoke has a flavor reminiscent of artichoke heart, which may have contributed to the association of the two vegetables. John Parkinson, a contemporary of Champlain, explains that the name “Jerusalem Artichoke” comes from the fact that the boiled root tastes like the bottom of an artichoke head.
Deformation of the Italian word “girasole
The Italian word for “sunflower”, “girasole”, may have been distorted into “Jerusalem” in English, creating the appellation “Jerusalem artichoke”. Jerusalem artichokes and sunflowers belong to the same botanical genus, Helianthus, and share visual characteristics.
Geographical confusion
Another hypothesis suggests that the English name “Jerusalem artichoke” may derive from a corruption of “Ter Neusen”, a port town in the Netherlands from where the tubers arrived in England.
Interestingly, the name “Toponambur” is itself the result of confusion. The tuber's introduction to France coincided with the arrival of members of the Topinamboux tribe from Brazil. This coincidence led to the erroneous attribution of a Brazilian origin to the plant, whereas it actually originated in North America. See the article on the origins of Jerusalem artichokes for more details.
Thus, the Jerusalem artichoke, through its various names, bears witness to the complexity of cultural and linguistic exchanges throughout history.
