The Artichoke: Thistle be Interesting

/

Today’s cultivated artichoke is an ancient member of the thistle family and close relative of the cardoon, a prickly, hearty plant native to North Africa and Sicily. The edible globe portion of the plant is not really a vegetable or a fruit, but a bud that will flower if not harvested.

Writings from around 300 BC mention their being grown in Italy and Sicily. About 1000 years later, Moors were cultivating them in Spain, and Arabs grew them in Sicily.  Artichokes came to the United States with French immigrants in the late 1700s, and were first grown in Louisiana. The commercial artichoke industry didn’t take off until 1922 when Andrew Molera leased his sugar beet land in Monterey County, California to Italian farmers who wanted to grow artichokes.

Today, in the US, all commercially grown artichokes come from California, and Castroville, in Monterey County, is billed as the “Artichoke Capital of the World.”

Here are a few more facts about the plant that Pliny the Elder (Rome, 23-79 AD) called “one of nature’s monstrosities:”

  • Norma Jean Baker (aka Marilyn Monroe) was crowned the first Queen of Artichokes in Castroville in 1947.
  • Artichoke hearts are actually “baby” artichokes whose leaves are still tender and whose inner “chokes” haven’t developed.
  • George and Martha Washington grew them at Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello.
  • There are 140 varieties of artichokes throughout the world, but only 40 are commercially grown.
  • The name originally came from the Arabic “al-hursufa,” to Old Spanish “alcarchofa,” to Northern Italian “arcicioffo” (influenced by “ciocco” meaning “stump,) and to the Italian “articiocco.”
  • The plant’s botanical name comes from the Greek legend about Zeus’s human girlfriend, Cynara, who Zeus brought to Mt. Olympus but who kept sneaking back to Earth. This made him angry, and he turned her into an artichoke (Cynara cardunculus.)
  • Benefits of eating them include everything from stimulating sex drive to preventing cancer. Pliny, in spite of his physical description of the plant, touted its powers to freshen breath, increase the chance of conceiving a male child, and cure baldness. Research shows that artichokes detox the body and provide aid for digestive disorders like diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion. It lowers blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol, boosts the immune system and protects against diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and, yes, several types of cancer. It can decrease risk of birth defects and osteoporosis. Chewing the leaves after a night out can relieve hangovers.
  • People with allergies should be cautioned about artichokes because they are thistles and related to ragweed, marigolds, daisies, and chrysanthemums.
  • One odd effect of eating artichokes that 40 to 60 percent of people experience is its tendency to make subsequent foods taste sweeter. The effect will dissipate after having something to drink, i.e. water. 

For a super easy and delicious artichoke dip from AllRecipes.com , click here. Three ingredients, in the oven for 20 minutes or until top browns, and you’re done! 

Pairing artichokes with wine can be tricky. If they are served without too much cheese, opt for a crisp, fresh-flavored white wine on the dry side such as a light Pinot Gris, Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or a Champagne or Prosecco--nothing too sweet or heavy. If the artichoke heart is served in cheese sauce or deep fried, try a traditional Chardonnay or an Orvieto, or possibly a Chardonnay/Pinot Gris blend.