Jerusalem artichoke tubers contain inulin and other insoluble dietary fibres. Their high PPO activity suggests the need for blanching before the processing of raw tubers, but 20–30% of inulin is lost when the duration of blanching is long enough to maintain paleness. The unique water-holding property of the dried material at low temperatures opens the possibility of their use as a source of low-calorie functional material in the food industry. Crude dried powder prepared from Jerusalem artichoke tubers reduces the viscosity of starch when it is heated in water; exploitation of this property may enable the application of potato starch in many industrial uses for which viscosity is not required. Also good water-holding capacity is promising to prevent syneresis and to improve product yields for production of snacks and frozen foods.