About Artichokes

• The artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a perennial thistle with purple flowers, silvery-green leaves and a distinctive edible bud. Most artichokes in the United States are cultivated in California, though they grow wild in southern Europe. The stem grows up to 1 m high, and like all thistles, has spiked leaves. The thick center of an immature artichoke bud is called the receptacle, or heart, and can be eaten along with the fleshy base of its leaves. Because of the artichoke's spiked leaves, which would be unpleasant to consume, and the relative hard work required to reach the edible portions of the plant, many Americans are unfamiliar with the artichoke as a natural food source. Many, however, know it as a jarred or prepared food only.
  
  

Cooking and Eating

• Before cooking an artichoke, it's important to rinse it thoroughly. Preparation styles vary, but most cooks prefer to remove the top inch or so of the artichoke bud, since these thistle leaves don't make good eating. The base of the larger leaves and the heart at the bottom, along with about an inch of the stem, however, are the good parts that should be retained. These are usually boiled with the juice of one or two lemons until nice and soft, usually for 25 to 30 minutes. Some recipes will then cut the artichoke in half and toss it on a grill long enough to get a nice grill mark and some of that grill flavor and texture (see Resources below). When cool, the individual leaves can be removed and dipped, usually in a lemon butter or aioli. By far the most common application of artichokes is in the classic spinach and artichoke dip appetizer. Here, pre-marinated artichoke hearts are mixed with sauteed or frozen spinach and melted cheese (or cream cheese) and served with chips, crackers or vegetables.
  
  

Other Uses

• In Vietnam, artichokes are made into a tea. In Italy, the flavor is used in a liqueur called Cynar. Though still relatively rare in America, artichoke leaf extract is growing in popularity as a dietary supplement (see Resources below). Little scientific evidence exists to support the medicinal use of artichoke, but it is used by some naturopaths and herbalists to treat indigestion, heartburn, high cholesterol, hangovers, abdominal pain, gas, nausea and irritable bowel syndrome. Even if the effectiveness of artichoke extract is questionable, there is no known toxic dose, so experimentation is relatively harmless.