naturally gluten free

Yacon is a perennial Peruvian herb grown for it’s crisp, sweet tasting tubers. This ancient crop has been grown for over a millennium, and has even been found in pre-Incan tombs. In Peruvian villages today these tubers are sold in the fruit section of markets rather than with other root crops because yacon does not store carbohydrates in the form of starch like most root vegetables do, rather it stores it in the form of inulin. The Yacon root is a rich source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS). These compounds help give the tuber its sweet flavor yet most of these sugars are indigestible by humans and therefore have no effect on blood sugar, making yacon an acceptable and natural sweetener to be used by diabetics. Dried Yacon powder is increasingly being used in pastries, confections, dairy products, and even as a coffee sweetener.

Yacon is excellent for use in all types of baked goods because of its naturally sweet flavor and ability to hold moisture and impart sweetness on baked goods. Try adding Yacon as a substitute for sugar in sauces or combining it with water and cooking it down into a syrup to be used combined with fruits or as a glaze on it’s own. Additionally, Yacon can be used just as you would any other sweetener to be sprinkled in coffee, yogurt, or on cereals to add sweetness with added vitamins and minerals. It’s ideal for diabetic cooking and baking because of its high levels of inulin that do not elevate blood sugar levels.

Product of Peru