172  New  Vegetable  Foods  and  Fruits.    {Am^°cuhr'  f^™" 
but  have  only  recently  appeared  in  American  markets.  They  are 
usually  cooked  by  steaming  and  are  served  with  a  white,  thick  sauce 
of  the  Bearnaise  type.  The  cost  is  high  and  the  nutritive  value  low 
and  they  are  classed  among  the  luxuries.  The  composition  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Water,  79.5  per  cent. ;  protein,  2.6  per  cent. ;  fat,  0.2  per  cent. ; 
carbohydrate,  16.7  per  cent,  (inulin)  ;  crude  fiber,  0.8  per  cent; 
ash,  1.0  per  cent. 
The  other  artichoke,  more  commonly  known  as  the  Jerusalem 
artichoke,  is  the  tuberous  root  of  Helianthns  tiiberosns,  a  variety 
of  sunflower.  It  is  a  native  of  America  and  was  cultivated  and  used 
as  a  food  by  the  aborigines.  The  name  "  Jerusalem  "  is  not  a  geo- 
graphical descriptive  name,  as  might  be  supposed,  but,  curiously 
enough,  is  a  corruption  of  the  Italian  "  girasole,"  meaning  "  turning 
toward  the  sun"  (sunflower).  It  is  prepared  by  boiling  or  baking, 
as  are  potatoes,  and  is  frequently  seen  in  our  markets  in  the  fall. 
The  composition  is :  Water,  79.7  per  cent. ;  protein,  2.4  per  cent. ; 
fat,  0.2  per  cent.;  carbohydrate  (inulin),  16.1  per  cent.;  crude  fiber, 
1.1  per  cent. ;  ash,  1.0  per  cent. 
Avocado. — This  is  the  fruit  of  Persea  Persea  (Persea  gratis- 
sima) ,  commonly  known  as  the  alligator  pear.  It  is  a  tropical  fruit, 
commonly  found  in  northern  markets,  where  it  brings  a  high  price. 
It  sometimes  reaches  a  weight  of  several  pounds.  Its  high  fat  con- 
tent gives  to  it,  in  the  countries  where  it  is  grown,  the  names  of 
"  vegetable  marrow  "  and  "  midshipman's  butter."  The  composi- 
tion of  the  edible  portion,  according  to  the  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agricul- 
ture, is  as  follows  :  Water,  81. 1  per  cent. ;  protein,  1.0  per  cent. ;  fat, 
10.2  per  cent. ;  sugar,  6.8  per  cent. ;  ash,  0.9  per  cent.  The  high  fat 
content  gives  it  a  fuel  value  of  512  calories  to  the  pound.  It  is 
sometimes  eaten  as  a  melon,  but  is  more  frequently  used  in  salads. 
The  flesh  of  the  ripe  fruit  is  about  the  consistency  of  well-made 
butter. 
Cabbage,  Chinese. — Also  known  as  Pe  Tsai,  Shantung  cabbage 
and  celery  cabbage,  Brassica  chinensis.  This  novel  variant  of  the 
cabbage  family,  of  which  there  are  more  than  seventy  kinds,  does 
not  form  a  head  like  the  common  cabbage,  but  the  leaves  form  tall 
celery-like  stalks,  more  than  a  foot  in  length,  blanched  at  the  lower 
portion.  It  is  frequently  found  in  the  Philadelphia  markets  and 
may  be  used  raw,  as  a  salad  like  lettuce,  or  cooked  like  ordinary 
cabbage.  The  large  white  midrib  may  also  be  cooked  like  asparagus. 
(See  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture  Bulletin  No.  68.)    The  composition 
