A perennial plant originally from the northern shores of the Mediterranean, Cynara scolymus has been cultivated in France since the beginning of the sixteenth century and is mentioned by Rabelais, according to that bible of all things culinary Prosper Montage’s Larousse Gastronomique (1938). The author goes on to explain how:
It lends itself to numerous delicious culinary compositions. When it is young, and therefore very tender, it is eaten raw, a la croque au sel . . . a la poivrade, and a la vinaigrette. Artichoke hearts, cooked and chilled, make one of the best garnishes for cold dishes. They can be stuffed with various ingredients. They are also used in the preparation of hors-d’oeuvre.
Less savoury, perhaps, were its associations when transported to the United States. There in the 1920s, the Italo-American racketeer Ciro Terranova became known as the “Artichoke King,” because he terrorized merchants selling artichokes into dealing exclusively with his wholesale produce company.
The 16th March has been declared as National Artichoke Heart Day in the United States where 90% of the artichokes in come from California. In that state, Castroville claims to be the “artichoke center of the world” and there is an arch over the road to prove it.
Texas intends to give them a run for their money, however. Growers in the Lone Star state are working to introduce globe artichokes as commercial specialty crop in their region. They say the healthy vegetable has the potential to provide new economic opportunities for regional agriculture throughout the southern U.S. a study published in the journal HortScience said in 2011.
The edible immature flower heads and their surrounding bracts are recognized as an excellent source of antioxidants and phytochemicals, hence increased interest outside Mediterranean and French communities. For those practitioners of the home farm habit artichokes, like rhubarb, once planted reliably produce crops every season thereafter.
Then again for those who tend to indulge in an over-imbibing of alcoholic beverages, a drink of French origin, based on artichoke extract, claims to make its users feel better within 45 minutes. It apparently contains an enzyme that helped breakdown alcohol in the liver five times faster than the body on its own. This though has come too late for American humourist Robert Benchley (1889-1945) who claimed that the only cure for a hangover is death.
Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.
