What is an artichoke: description, recipes, taste

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Walking between the stalls in the market, you see a huge selection of all kinds of vegetables and fruits. There are among them the usual apples, plums, cucumbers, etc. But there are those who are difficult to give the exact name the first time. One of them is the artichoke. A beautiful vegetable that grows in the Mediterranean countries will undoubtedly surprise you with its unique taste and aroma. For more information about what an artichoke is and what it is eaten with, read below.

Vegetable or fruit?

The artichoke is most popular in Italy. It is there that it is grown for production and export to different countries of the world. Translated from Italian, the name of the plant means "pine cone". This country reveres the artichoke so much that every year they hold a festival in its honor.

Despite the fact that the artichoke looks really easy to confuse with a huge cone, in fact it is a flower of the aster family. next of kinof this amazing flower vegetable are chamomile and dandelions. And as much as it is customary for us to consider them weeds, it is so common for Australians to consider artichokes as weeds.

Australian weeds

Artichoke is a vegetable crop with a straight long stem and wide leaves. At the base, closer to the root, the plant is densely dotted with white hairs. Under favorable conditions, the plant can grow up to one and a half meters in height. To better understand what an artichoke is, imagine a thistle. It looks like an artichoke during flowering. Only the overseas vegetable is much more massive, sprawling and with more leaves.

The plant is quite sun-loving, and the dry climate suits it best. Therefore, it prefers countries with minimal rainfall, such as Australia, Italy, France, Spain, etc. There are about 10 types of artichokes, but Spanish is considered the most popular variety.

What's edible in it?

Many are interested in the question: "How do they eat artichokes and what parts of the plant can be eaten?" Mostly used in cooking unblown flower, which looks like a basket. Outwardly, it is completely covered with fleshy scales. The average diameter of this basket is 10 cm. The color is light green and light green. In addition, in Vietnam, Romania and Mexico, it is customary to prepare tea from the leaves, stem and root of the artichoke. In Italy, it is used to make liquor.

Artichoke has a rather peculiar taste. For whatlike you don't answer right away. But to a greater extent, gourmets tend to compare it with green peas.

Origin story

The first mention of it as a vegetable goes back to the 8th century BC. Records of the use of the artichoke as food were also found among the ancient Romans and Greeks. They already knew how to cook artichokes, and even managed to make blanks from them, using various additives and spices for this.

The peculiar taste of the artichoke was so ex alted in those days that poems were written about it. In particular, these are the poets of the past Alcaeus and Hesiod. They used fresh or boiled artichoke seasoned with various sauces. Surprisingly, only rich people could afford this weed flower for a long period of time.

Ancient Roman writer Pliny writes about what an artichoke is not only as a delicacy for gourmets, but also as a medicine. Medicine and science are also aware of its aphrodisiac qualities.

In the Middle Ages, the Arabs improved the cultivation of the artichoke, thanks to which the product became widespread. It begins to be grown in almost every household plot. Later, the Dutch and Belgians took over. They ennobled the plant so much that they even supplied it to the royal court.

Artichoke as medicine

For the first time, the medicinal properties of the artichoke are mentioned in the 16th century by a practicing healer and biologist from Italy, Pietro Mattioli. He claimed that by using the roots of the plant, unpleasant body odors could be eliminated. That was enough for the time.actual problem. Along with this, the artichoke began to be used as an effective bile and diuretic. These properties have long been confirmed by scientists today. All thanks to the presence of the chemical component cynarin. Most of it is found in the pulp of the leaves and stem, even if you use dried artichokes.

In addition, the plant contains bioactive flavonoids luteolin and apigenin, which can prevent cancerous growths. The total antioxidant capacity of artichoke flower heads is the highest among vegetables.

What diseases can be treated with artichoke?

• Liver disease.
• Constipation.
• Diabetes.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Psoriasis.
• Eczema.
• Diseases of the pancreas.

Artichokes contain a number of useful substances necessary for the smooth functioning of the human body. In addition to the flavonoids discussed above, the flowers contain folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Also fiber in large quantities, vitamins of group B (in particular, B6), K and C.

Therefore, the use of artichokes is so desirable in winter, when the body is most in need of nourishment with trace elements and vitamins.

You can make tea from the plant. How to brew an artichoke? Dried leaves (1-1, 5 tsp) pour a glass of water with a temperature of 70-80 ° C, leave for 5 minutes, strain through a strainer if necessary.

How to choose a good artichoke?

You have already learned thatsuch an artichoke, now it remains to find out what to look for during the selection and how to cook deliciously.

The first thing you should check when choosing an artichoke is the color. Good early vegetables should be green. Later, autumn fruits have a purple hue. Choose those buds that are heavier and fleshier, with scales well adjacent to the core. As for the size, it does not play a special role. But this is only if you know how to cook it.

The situation is different with the age of the fetus - the younger it is, the more tender and tastier it is. Artichokes ripen in Italy in February, and finish their collection in early April. Harvesting vegetables is carried out in several stages of ripening. So it turns out that the first harvest is the most delicious. So we come to the question of how artichokes are eaten.

What tastes better?

Young vegetables picked in February are incredibly tender. The size of such plants is no larger than a chicken egg. You can eat them whole and even raw. But unfortunately, these fruits do not respond well to transportation. Therefore, it is almost impossible to find young artichokes in the supermarket.

Canned artichokes also have a special taste. For this, buds of medium and small sizes are suitable. Italians marinate these vegetables in sea water or olive oil, seasoning them with spices and herbs. For tourists and visiting guests, this dish is a real delicacy. Once you taste it, it's hard not to fall in love with an artichoke for the rest of your life.

Vegetables largesizes are eaten only after heat treatment. After the flower is cut, it immediately begins to lose its refined aroma and properties. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare it as soon as possible.

Artichokes in the country

It is believed that the shelf life of the cut fruit in the refrigerator is about a week. That is why artichokes can be increasingly found in the beds of our summer residents. Although it will take a lot of effort to get the harvest, the result is worth it. After all, this is a perennial plant, and if successful, it will bear fruit for up to 10 years. On average, one vegetable bush produces up to 10 fruit cones. This means that only 6-7 artichoke bushes will be enough to provide vegetables for the whole family.

The indisputable arguments about whether it is worth growing fruits in the country are their useful properties. Moreover, most of them are found in leaves and roots. Thus, the fruits can be safely used to prepare a variety of tasty and he althy dishes, and all other raw materials can be dried for use during illnesses. Do it during flowering. You can use a dryer, or you can lay it out in a draft.

Cooking

Someone, but the Italians certainly know how to cook artichokes. They are served both as a separate dish and as a side dish, cold and hot. Vegetables are used to prepare various salads, pies and pizza. They are added to give a special taste to stews and pastas. Even bread is baked with this intricate flower vegetable.

To attractattention of tourists, restaurateurs put up baskets of artichokes at the entrance to their establishment. This suggests that the restaurant can taste dishes with this exotic weed.

How to eat an artichoke

Seeing a marvelous vegetable for the first time, many are perplexed from which side to approach it, and even more so how to eat it correctly. However, everything is not as scary as it seems at first. Even the most educated eat artichokes with their hands. Small buds can be put whole in the mouth, and larger ones can be divided into separate petals. Too large fruits are not served fresh on the table, but are pre-boiled or prepared from them as a separate full-fledged dish. Let's talk separately about how to boil an artichoke.

Boil the vegetable

1. Take a larger pot if you have several fruits, and a medium size if there is one bud. The artichokes will become very soft during cooking. So that the prepared vegetables do not lose their appetizing appearance, you will need to carefully remove them. So it's better to give them more room to cook.
2. Pour in water and cook for about 45 minutes. To check the readiness, use a knife - it should enter the flower without resistance.
3. Transfer the finished vegetable to cold water, then drain in a colander. It is necessary to get rid of excess fluid.
4. Put the cooked artichokes into a deep bowl and serve with the sauce.

Interesting facts

1. For the first time, the artichoke was prepared by French chefs, after which the product became known throughout the world as something amazing and verydelicious.
2. In ancient times in Rome, there was an opinion that this flower, being a powerful aphrodisiac, could somehow influence the sexual characteristics of future children.
3. Scientists from Spain figured out how to extract energy from artichokes. In the future, they plan to build power plants for processing weeds. It will take about 100,000 tons of artichokes to provide electricity to a population of 60,000 people.
4. Festivals are organized around the world in honor of this miracle of nature. During the celebration, the participants of the show dance, sing, participate in various competitions and, of course, taste artichoke dishes.

Artichoke is a real delicacy, with which you can surprise guests and pass for a wonderful hostess. Its taste will be remembered for a lifetime. Growing this amazing vegetable in your garden, you will not only become the owner of an overseas delicacy. You can use it for the purpose of nature and surprise those present with an original bouquet.