There are no U.S. grade standards for Jerusalem Artichoke. These instructions have been developed by the Specialty Crops Inspection Division to assist officially licensed inspectors in making inspections, writing certificates and to assist in the proper identification of specialty type fruits and vegetables.
Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchokes, Topi Tamboo, Chufle) is a root tuber that is not an artichoke and has nothing to do with Jerusalem. It is a member of the sunflower family. It is the root of a type of sunflower cultivated especially for the root. It can be grown throughout the United States but does better in cooler zones. Once dug it is hard to store because the thin skin allows it to shrivel easily. However, it will store for a few weeks under ideal conditions as long as it does not dry out.