Question from Calicokitty
Thank you so much for this site! It is a wonderful resource.
My question is: have you looked at Yacon syrup as a sweetener? I’ve seen it touted as a “pro-biotic”, but most of the information I’ve found is from sites that sell it, so I’m looking for an unbiased source of information.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Debra’s Answer
I really don’t know any more than you do about it, except I have a bottle.
It is a syrup from the root of the yacon, a plant native to Peru. It’s sugar is an ogliosaccharide, so it doesn’t spike blood sugar. The one I have is both organic and raw.
I’ve had this bottle on my shelf for over a year, and it hasn’t inspired me to use it. It has a consistancy like honey or agave, but it is less sweet and has more of a strong flavor. So any dish containing it would necessarily have to have the flavor to get enough sweetness.
Agave is great because it doesn’t add any flavor of it’s own. You could only use yacon with foods that had compatible flavors.
It’s not an unpleasant flavor…it’s similar to dates. But for me, ogliofructose from chicory root (Sweet Perfection) is much more versatile as an all-purpose sweetener.
I have no reason to believe that yacon is harmful to health in any way, so I have no objections to using it. It’s just, for me, it’s use is limited and I am not so in love with the flavor that I would use it in a recipe for taste.
