I think I'd be inclined to just scrub the sun chokes with a stiff brush instead of trying to peel them.
We sell ginger root at the co-op, and I have seen it in the produce section of the supermarkets. I guess all that fiber would give you a wad of good tasting stuff to chew on for quite a while, at least as good as gum, which my sister calls a tummy teaser, just promise it something and don't deliver anything, making it growl more. I understand that ginger is good for digestion. Can you grow ginger in your climate? And what about ginseng?
