The artichoke has been gracing the tables of mankind for over 3,000 years. It has been prized as an aphrodisiac, served at the tables of royalty, and outlawed in New York. A surprising resume for a vegetable that was one referred to as "one of the earth's monstrosities."

Featuring a delicate flavor with subtle nuttiness, the artichoke is delicious simply steamed and dipped in butter, mayonnaise, aioli, hollandaise, or vinegar. Or broken down to the heart and included in casseroles, soups, pasta dishes, gratins, and more. This versatile vegetable has a lot to offer to any meal.

Native to the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands, the artichoke is the edible flower bud of a thistle in the sunflower plant family. If allowed to flower the 7-inch blossoms are a beautiful violet blue color. Wild artichokes can still be found in North Africa.

Artichokes are available all year; with the peak growing season in is the Spring and Fall. There are more than 140 varieties of artichokes, but less than 40 are grown commercially.

Artichokes are grown in green and purple varieties:

• Large, Green: Camus de Bretagne, Castel (France); Green Globe (US, South Africa)
• Medium, Green: Verde Palermo (Italy); Blanca de Tudela (Spain); Argentina Espanola (Chile); Blanc d'Oran (Algeria); Sakiz, Bayrampasha (Turkey)
• Large, Purple: Romanesco, C3 (Italy)
• Medium, Purple: Violet de Provence (France); Brindisino, Catanese, Niscemese (Italy); Violet d'Algerie (Algeria); Baladi (Egypt); Nato (Argentina); Violeta de Chioggia (Italy)

Artichokes found in the US markets are exclusively grown in the Monterey County, California. The California growers produce approximately 39,000 metric tons of the vegetable. Artichokes in Europe are mainly grown in Italy, Spain and France.

• Outer Leaves: The darker outer leaves typically have a larger piece of "meat" at the base of the leaf. The fibrous top potion of the leave is typically trimmed before cooking to remove the single thorn at the top.
• Inner Leaves: As the outer leaves are removed, the light green inner leaves are revealed. The closer the leaves are to the center of the artichoke the more tender they become. The last several layers of light green leaves are typically fully edible.
• Choke: The fuzzy choke located at the base of leaves above the heart should be scooped out and discarded before eating. While not harmful, biting into any of the choke is unpleasant.
• Heart: The prized thick base of the artichoke. A larger artichoke does not guarantee a larger heart. When selecting the artichoke feel around the base. With practice, you can feel the ridge of the heart within the leaves.
• Stem: Once peeled of the thick dark skin, the stem is also tender and edible. Some varieties are sold with their long stem. Peel them and cut into bite size pieces and cook until tender.

Artichokes—the vegetable to the gods. No, really! Ancient Aegean legend claims that the first artichoke was created by Zeus, and he enjoyed them immensely. According to the legend, there once was a young girl, Cynara, who attracted the attention of Zeus. He was enamored of her, and made her a goddess so that she could nearer to his home in Olympia. Unfortunately, she became homesick and returned home. Zeus was so enraged upon her return to Olympia for returning to the mortal world that he hurled her back to earth and made her into an artichoke.

Ancient Greeks and Romans considered artichokes to be a delicacy and aphrodisiac. The Ancient Greeks also believed that eating the vegetable would be effective in ensuring the birth of boys.

The North African Moors began growing artichokes in Spain and the Arabic Saracens in Sicily. Artichokes spread from Sicily to Naples around the middle of the 15th century, and the Italian Catherine de Medici is credited with introducing artichokes to King Henry II's French court in the 1600's.

The Dutch introduced artichokes to England, where they grew in King Henry VIII's garden. And the French would being the artichokes to the United States, via Louisiana, and the Spanish via California. In the 17th century, Martha Washington's Book of Cookery contains a recipe entitled "To Make Hartichoak Pie". And by the early 20th century, Fannie Farmer noted the cost of artichokes in her cookbook.

In the 1920's, an artichoke war would begin, leading to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia to declare "the sale, display, and possession, of artichokes in New York illegal. The war began as Ciro Terranova—the self-proclaimed Artichoke King, tried to establish a monopoly on the artichoke market. However, the ban would only last a week since Mayor La Guardia loved the vegetable himself.

• Artichoke globes that have a deep color, either green or purple
• Buds that have a tight leaf formation, not beginning to bloom open
• Artichokes that are heavy for their size, which is a good indication of freshness
• Vegetable that makes a squeaking noise when the leaves are squeezed together
• Have a slight sheen to them

Some winter artichokes will have some black streaks or blistering on the skin. These are "Frost-Kissed" artichokes. Some prefer these winter fruit and claim that they are more tender and have a more intense nutty flavor.

• Opening or blooming artichokes
• Vegetable with browning tips
• Artichokes with hard outer leaves

• Jumbo: Softball
• Large: Baseball
• Medium: Tennis Ball
• Baby: Golf Ball

Baby artichokes aren't immature artichokes, but rather fully mature artichokes that are simply smaller in size. They grow on the same plants are regular artichokes that grower lower on the plant. The benefit of the baby artichoke is they do not develop the prickly choke around the heart, and the entire bud can be eaten. Artichokes are best when used within a day or two of purchase. However, the vegetable can be stored, unwashed, for a day or two in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for about a week. Cooked artichokes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Artichokes can be frozen, but for best results they should be cooked before freezing. Cooked artichokes can be frozen for up to 6 months. Fresh artichoke hearts that are frozen uncooked will turn brown and become mealy when thawed.

• Rinse the artichokes under cool running water. Spread the leaves apart to rinse away any dirt trapped within the leaf layers.
• Scrub the outside of the artichoke, especially young artichokes, to remove a natural thin layer of film produced while growing that can give the artichoke a bitter flavor.
• Snap off the outer couple of layers of leaves. On mature artichokes those outer most leaves are tough and fiberous.
• Trim off the stem and any thorns present on the tips of the leaves.
• For baby artichokes, trim 1/2-inch off the top of the artichoke.
• To help prevent browning, soak trimmed artichokes in lemon or vinegar water until ready to cook. To avoid discoloration while cooking, use stainless steel or non-reactive cookware and utensils. Fortunately, any discoloration does not affect the taste.

The artichoke is a versatile vegetable that is delicious when prepared a number of ways from steaming to sautéing. Covering an artichoke while cooking will cause discoloration. The discoloration will not affect the flavor, but may be unsightly.

• Steaming: After trimming, place artichokes in a steamer insert or basket. Cover and steam over rapidly boiling water or stock until tender, 15-25 minutes depending on size. To prevent browning, add lemon or vinegar to the steaming liquid.
• Boiling: Place artichokes in saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring water to a boil, cover and cook until tender, 15-25 minutes depending on size. To prevent browning, add lemon or vinegar to the steaming liquid.
• Microwaving: Place artichokes in a microwave safe bowl with 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high until tender, 10-15 minutes depending on size. Remove from microwave and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes prior to serving.
• Sautéing: Sauté baby or smaller artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half or quarters, depending on the size. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add artichokes and sauté until browned.
• Grilling: Pre-cook artichokes by steaming, boiling or microwaving. Brush with oil and grill over hot coals 5 to 10 minutes until nicely browned.

To eat the "meat" off the artichoke leaf, remove a leaf from the base of the artichoke. Dip the leaf in mayonnaise, butter, hollandaise, aioli, or dip of choice. Place the bottom half of the leaf between your teeth and scrape the meat off. As the leaves get lighter in color they will become more tender and more of the leaf will be edible. The lightest color leaves are completely edible.

At the very center of the artichoke will be a cone of leaves that are very thin and light in color. Remove the cone to reveal the choke. Use a spoon to scrape the hairy choke from the base of the artichoke. Use a paring knife to remove any tough green skin. What will be left is the tender nutty-flavored heart, which is the prize of the artichoke and very tasty. Many people think that an artichoke shouldn't be eaten with wine. The naturally occurring chemicals in the artichoke will affect the flavor of the wine. Most wines will taste sweeter when eaten with an artichoke. 1 large artichoke, 3.5 ounces

50 Calories

2.89 g Protein

10 mg Folic Acid

11.39 g Carbohydrates

1 g Sugar

8.6 g Dietary Fiber

0.34 g Fat

• Ancient Greeks and Romans considered artichokes to be a delicacy and aphrodisiac.
• Wealthy Romans prepared artichokes in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin.
• Wild artichokes were cultivated and improved by Moors and Arabs in monastic gardens.
• Catherine de Medici, married to King Henry II of France, is credited with bringing artichokes to France.
• French immigrants settling in the Louisiana territories brought artichokes to America.
• Wild varieties of the artichoke are called cardoons, and can still be found in North Africa.
• The first mention of artichokes in literature was in the 1st century AD in a book of medicinal uses of plants, The Greek Herbal of Dioscorides.
• Until the 16th century, women were prohibited in many countries from eating the artichoke because of the aphrodisiac properties.
• In 1947 Marilyn Monroe was crowned Castroville's Artichoke Queen.
• Artichoke is the primary flavor in the popular Italian liqueur Cynar.

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