I like produce. I like to grow it. And I like to eat it. Plus I like to create recipes with it. I’m also kind of a nerd and like to get to know my produce. I like learning new or fun tidbits of info about the produce I’m growing/eating/baking. If you’re a weirdo like me then buckle up for this new series as I dive into a plethora of produce facts and share them with you. 10 fun facts about artichokes! Here we go:
10 Fun Facts About Artichokes!
1. Technically, an artichoke is a flower bud {a perennial thistle} that hasn’t bloomed. Talk about a tasty flower!
2. If allowed to flower, blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color.
3. Artichoke leaves can be ground up and made into tea. This is very popular in Vietnam.
4. Until the 16th century, women were prohibited from eating artichokes in many countries because they were still considered to have aphrodisiac properties. This one made me giggle!
5. The Dutch brought the artichoke to Britain in the 16th century, then Spanish and French settlers brought the artichoke to America in the 19th century.
But wait, there’s more!
6. California produces 100% of the United States artichoke crop, with Castroville, California calling itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.” {WOW!}
7. Marilyn Monroe was named Castroville, California’s first Artichoke Queen in 1947.
8. Italy is the world’s biggest artichoke producer. Other Mediterranean countries like Egypt, Spain, and France are also top producers.
9. If you want some artichoke leaf extract {good for making tea!} in Europe, you must have a prescription from your doctor. In America they’re widely available.
10. Artichokes aid digestion, are great for the liver and gallbladder, and have been found to improve cholesterol levels, so eat up!
Had you heard any of those fun facts before? Do you have any of your own to add? Is there a particular produce item you want to know more about? I take requests!
Grow on,
~ Mavis
Want to learn more about your produce? Check out my fun facts about produce section.
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
I LOVE artichokes, and my mom served them a few times a year in the 70s (with lemon garlic butter, she didn’t ever have mayo etc, in the fridge). We live about 100 miles from Castroville, so they’ve always been available here (if not a little expensive -understatement). We’re re-doing our back yard, and this has inspired me to add a few artichoke plants!!
Roz says
Awesome info, Mavis! I discovered last year a cute little herb called sheep sorrel. It takes just like lemon, fresh and bright! But I have to keep my chickens out of it, they devastated last year’s crop LOL! So, I thought you might want to try it and maybe give us some cool facts about sheep sorrel! Love your adventures!
Natalie says
I grew up eating sorrel. My mom would put it in soups. It adds a nice lemony tang.
Katy says
Artichoke flowers are beautiful and huge. I remember the first time I saw one it was so pretty I took a closer look and it was kind of shocking to realize it was an artichoke!
Sue says
The ancestor of our word “artichoke” comes from the opposite side of the Mediterranean from Greece: Arab-occupied Spain. There, the western Arabic word for an artichoke-y plant, al-karsufa (al in Arabic just means “the”), turned into the Spanish alcarchofa.
jennifer says
I think I heard once that artichokes are the only immature flower bud that people eat. But I think capers and cloves are also immature flowers. Anyway, #9 made me laugh–about obtaining artichoke extract by prescription, because technically you left it to the reader to decide if the extract is widely available in the US or if prescriptions for it are widely available in the US. 😉
Love your posts. Sometime tell us more about your current property? Not where it is or anything, but maybe how many acres you have or how many acres you use, etc?
Nora says
Sorry Jennifer, Sorry Mavis,
#9 is simple not true. You can easily buy artichoke extract without a prescription (at least in Germany and the UK).
It helps the digestive system and is a natural remedy.
Greetings from Europe!
CherylV says
I’ve always wanted to try an artichoke, but I don’t know how to cook it, what part is edible, how to take it apart. So the next time you cook one, take pics so I can figure it out.
Susie Janov says
Cheryl V, just Google “How to eat an artichoke” and there are videos about it, as well as how to cook it. Hope this helps!