The days of tasty local blueberries are sadly behind us, and any trip to the market in Hungary will remind you that now is clearly the time for roots and tubers. But look closely and you'll see that there's more than sárgarépák (carrots) and krumplik ('taters) hiding at the markets. Until the ground freezes and it gets too hard to dig them out, there will be Jerusalem artichokes - at least at the Fény utcai Piac, where the csicsókák pictured above came into my hands.

Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) are not artichokes, they aren't from Jerusalem, and they certainly aren't pretty. They look like a cross between a knobby, dirty potato and ginger root. The taste is also similar to a potato, but earthier and sweeter. When I bought a kilo of csicsóka this past weekend for around Ft 200 (€.80), the néni who sold them to me recommended thinly slicing them, marinating them in vinaigrette, and eating them raw as a salad. There's no need to peel them, just scrub off the dirt, as you would with a mushroom. They can also be cooked just as you'd cook potatoes - boiled, fried, mashed, or baked. Last time I picked up a bag of the things, I sliced them thin, deep fried them until they were crispy and used them instead of bread to scoop up beef tartare. Either way, get them while you can, because there'll be plenty of time for eating potatoes this winter.