Artichoke is a popular winter edible bud of the Mediterranean region known since ancient times for its medicinal properties. Marilyn Monroe was crowned Castroville’s first artichoke queen
lItaly is the largest producer of artichokes in the world with nearly 32 per cent of the total. Italy, Egypt and Spain account for more than 57 per cent of the world’s production.
lCalifornia produces 100 per cent of the United States artichoke crop, with Castroville, California calling itself the artichoke center of the world.
lIn 1947 Marilyn Monroe, then known by her given name Norma Jean, was crowned Castroville’s first artichoke queen.
lThe United States produces less than three per cent of the world’s supply. Italy produces almost 12 times as many artichokes as the United States.
lArtichokes can also be made into an herbal tea. It affords some of the qualities of the whole vegetable, acting as a diuretic and improving liver function. Artichoke tea is produced as a commercial product in the Da lat region of Vietnam.
lThe Greeks and Romans considered them to be an aphrodisiac.
lThe artichoke is technically a flower bud that has not yet bloomed.
lOne artichoke plant can produce more than 20 artichokes per year.
lArtichokes are old-school, Cleopatra and the gang ate these. The first noted mention of these Mediterranean globes was by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus.
lAccording to the legend, the artichoke was created when the smitten Greek god Zeus turned his object of affection into a thistle after being rejected. Despite this prickly beginning, the ancients considered the artichoke full of health benefits, using it as an aphrodisiac, a diuretic, a breath freshener and even a deodorant.
lThey are a good source of folate (one of the B group of vitamins) which keeps your blood healthy and helps you grow well. It’s especially important for mums to get enough folate at the beginning of a pregnancy to help reduce the risk of some birth defects in the baby.
lThey are a great source of dietary fibre, and that keeps your bowel working well.
lArtichokes also have some vitamin C, no fat and very few kilojoules.
lTo pick the best of artichokes select small to medium, compact, bright green, plump globes that feel heavy for their size. large artichokes are tough and have less flavour than the smaller ones.
lPrepare artichoke, cook and drain. Remove choke. Serve hot with melted butter and lemon juice or cold with favourite salad dressing. Simply remove leaves by pulling downwards. Dip in sauce and pull leaves through teeth to remove flesh.
lArtichoke leaf extracts have exhibited hepatoprotective, anticarcinogenic, antioxidative, antibacterial, and anti — HIV abilities.
lThe imperial star artichoke has a higher antioxidant concentration than the globe artichoke by only 0.8 per cent.