140 Unknown Facts About Artichokes

Facts About Artichokes: Artichoke also known as French artichoke, green artichoke, and globe artichoke in the USA is a species of thistle that is cultivated for food. The inflorescence is a cluster of small flowers. Flower buds appear before the flowers bloom on the edible part of the plant. Cardoon, an annual herb native to the Mediterranean region, is another species of the same genus. Both wild species and cultivar species (agriculture) are found.

Unknown Facts About Artichokes

Artichokes help in digestion.
It regulates bowel movements.
In 2016, 6,800 acres were harvested.
March 16th is National Artichoke Day.
The fruit of artichoke weighs about 150 gm.
They are native to the Mediterranean region.
It stimulates the lymphatic drainage system.
The globe artichoke is low in calories and fat.
Artichokes are an excellent source of Vitamin K
Artichokes are rich in manganese and magnesium.
A large artichoke has 6 grams of dietary fiber.
The globe artichoke grows up to 1.5-2 m in length.
Famous Italian liqueur Cynar is made of artichoke.
A plant produces about 15 to 20 artichokes a year.
Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean region.
It is cultivated as an annual or a perennial plant.
Every year, March 16th is celebrated as Artichoke Day.
Fresh artichokes contain moderate amounts of Vitamin C.
It is one amongst the oldest food items known to humans.
Artichokes are also used in beer manufacturing in Italy.
One medium artichoke has more fiber than a cup of prunes.
Artichoke is either boiled or steamed for eating purposes.

Interesting Facts About Artichokes for Kids

Harvest takes place between 5 and 6 months after planting.
In Vietnam, artichoke leaves are ground up and made into tea.
Artichokes are considered good for the liver and gallbladder.
The diameter of a standard artichoke plant is around 7.5-8 cm.
An artichoke is an erect, spiny, biennial, or perennial plant.
Artichokes can be cultivated as an annual or a perennial plant.
Around 6 grams of dietary fiber is present in a large artichoke.
Artichokes were earlier believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
Eating artichokes daily helps improve your heart health as well.
Artichokes thrives in frost-free areas with cool, foggy summers.
A medium-sized artichoke contains more fiber than a cup of prunes.
Eating artichokes once a day helps improve your cholesterol levels.
There are only 47 calories in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of artichokes.
A single plant of artichoke can produce over 20 artichokes per year.
It is the official vegetable of Monterey County in California (MCC).
Raw and fresh artichoke is an excellent source of natural folic acid.
Until the 16th-17th century, women were not allowed to eat artichokes.
An artichoke is an unbloomed flower and a part of the sunflower family.
Pliny the Elder mentioned growing of ‘carduus’ in Carthage and Cordoba.
Artichoke can be propagated via seed, root cuttings or tissue cultures.

Economic Facts About Artichokes

The world’s largest producer was Italy, with Egypt and Spain following.
An artichoke is a prominent winter vegetable across the whole of Europe.
The artichoke is the Official Vegetable of Monterey County in California
The scientific name of the artichoke is Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus.
The core of the artichoke stem tastes similar to its heart and is edible.
It’s believed that artichokes prevent neural tube defects in newborn babies.
Artichoke can reach 4.6 to 6.6 feet in height and spread 9 feet in diameter.
Nearly all artichokes grown commercially in the U.S. are grown in California.
Artichokes are rich in antioxidants such as polyphenols, quercetin, and rutin.
The edible part of an artichoke is its unmatured flower bud before it blossoms.
Herbal tea made of artichoke is popular and often consumed in Vietnam and Mexico.
The taste of a cooked and unseasoned artichoke resembles that of a fried egg white.
Currently, Italy is regarded as the world’s biggest artichoke producer after the US.
The most popular Greek recipe made using artichokes is called “Aginares a la polita.”
The harvest of the artichoke plant takes place between five to six months of planting.
The artichoke is mentioned as a garden plant in the 8th century BC by Homer and Hesiod.
You should also add artichoke to your diet due to its various cancer-fighting properties.
Artichoke improves liver health by eradicating toxins from the liver as well as the body.
All the commercially grown artichokes in the United States of America are grown in California.

Unique Facts About Artichokes

You can consume artichokes by adding them to your stews, salads, casseroles, soups, and sauces.
In a study done by the USDA, artichokes ranked as the number one vegetable in antioxidant count
An artichoke is an excellent source of compounds like silymarin, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid.
Artichoke also called globe artichoke is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food.
Since artichokes cure hangovers, people often take some leaves of artichoke after heavy drinking.
The violet flowers of artichokes are also used as decorative components in gardens and flower beds.
Artichokes are an immature flower. If left to mature, they will blossom into bright purple flowers.
For the best quality of artichokes, they must be grown in frost-free areas with cool & foggy summers.
A study demonstrated that its leaves assist in lowering bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
Marilyn Monroe, who was still going by her given name, was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen.
Artichoke is a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Artichokes increase the density and health of the bones. Thus, they also reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Initially, artichokes are immature flowers that will blossom into bright purple flowers if left to mature.
There are 50 varieties of artichokes grown worldwide. Green Globe is the predominant variety in California.

Awesome Facts About Artichokes

One plant produces around 15 to 20 artichokes per year. Harvest usually takes place 5 to 6 months after planting.
This perennial plant can grow up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height with leaves up to 80 centimeters (31 inches) long.
The fruit of artichoke possesses a unique nutty flavor and resembles the taste of another green vegetable, asparagus.
You can find artichoke in Europe and North America during the spring and summer and in the Middle East during the fall.
Production actually happens year-round, but peak harvest season occur between March and May and smaller one in October.
Artichoke is a rich source of dietary fibers, vitamins K, B9 and C and minerals such as sodium, manganese and magnesium.
Although artichokes are grown throughout the year, their peak production happens around March and May and smaller ones in October.
Artichokes may initiate intestinal gas and allergic reactions in people allergic to chrysanthemums, ragweed, marigolds, and daisies.
Before the 16th century, women were not allowed to eat the vegetable because they were still considered to have aphrodisiac properties.
The primary nutrients found in artichokes are dietary fiber (17.89%), copper (16.89%), Vitamin K 17.8 µg (14.83%), and phosphorus (12.57%).
Artichoke plants feature deeply toothed large leaves that grow up to one meter (3 feet) long and that die each year after flowers are formed.
Currently, over 50 varieties of artichokes are grown worldwide, with the green globe the most prominent one. It’s commonly found in California.
An artichoke is known by several names like Globe Artichoke, Prickly Cardoon, Scotch Thistle, Vegetable Rennet, Wild Cardoon and Wood Artichoke.
Artichokes were brought to the United States in the 1800s and were first grown in Louisiana by French immigrants and in California by the Spanish.

Mind-Blowing Facts About Artichokes

Italy, Egypt and Spain are major producers of artichoke in the world. Nearly 100% of artichoke that is consumed in the USA originates from California.
6,800 acres of artichoke farmland was harvested in the year 2016.and color. Moreover, the cut given to an emerald determines the richness of the color.
Artichokes are not poisonous to humans. However, if you are allergic to marigolds or daisies, you are more likely to be allergic to artichokes as well.
Artichoke has deeply lobed, silver, grey-green or bronze-green colored leaves. Some varieties of artichokes look like ferns due to arched, spiky leaves.
Artichoke can be cultivated as annual plant (plant that completes its life cycle in one year) or perennial plant (plant that lives more than two years).
Castroville is the artichoke center of the world as the majority of the artichokes harvesting takes place here only. It’s a small town in Monterey County.
Fully developed flowerhead bears purple flowers that contain large number of seed. Seed of artichoke are covered with hairs to facilitate dispersal by wind.
The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8 to 15 centimeters diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple.
Of all the vegetables known to mankind, artichokes are believed to contain the maximum amount of antioxidant levels, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
Castroville, a small town in Monterey County, is the self-proclaimed “Artichoke Center of the World” since most of California’s artichokes are grown in this area.

Cool Facts About Artichokes

There are many stuffed artichoke recipes. A common Italian stuffing uses a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, parsley, grated cheese, and prosciutto or sausage.
Until 16th century, consumption of artichoke was restricted only to men due to aphrodisiac properties of this plant. This practice was popular in many countries in the world.
The significant health benefits of an artichoke plant are that it prevents cancer, promotes heart health, cures hangovers, promotes healthy bones, and improves your brain health.
In Italy, artichoke hearts in oil are the usual vegetable for “spring” section of the “Four Seasons” pizza (with olives for summer, mushrooms for autumn, and prosciutto for winter).
Immature flowers are edible part of artichoke. They develop from the flower buds that grow laterally from the main stem. Large flowerhead (inflorescence) consists of numerous individual florets.
The artichoke’s flavour is delicate and nutlike, and the smaller heads, or buds, are usually the most tender. Artichoke heads are served as a hot vegetable with a sauce or as a cold salad or appetizer.
In Spain artichoke are sprinkled with olive oil and left in hot ashes in a barbecue, sautéed in olive oil with garlic, with rice as a paella, or sautéed and combined with eggs in a tortilla (frittata).
Artichoke cannot be consumed raw (it needs to be processed first). Artichoke can be fried, grilled, baked, cooked or microwaved and used for the preparation of stews, soups, salads, sauces and casseroles.
European immigrants brought artichokes to the United States in the 1800s, first to Louisiana and later to the mid-coastal region of California, where the cool, foggy climate has proven ideal for their cultivation.
Flowershead usually grows to the size of a tennis ball. It can be globular or cone-shaped. Flowerhead consists of large number of succulent bracts (modified leaves) that surround centrally positioned immature flowers.
Native to the western and central Mediterranean, the artichoke was domesticated and carried to the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times, though it was then valued for its young leaves rather than the immature flower heads.
During the Middle Ages there was hardly a mention of artichokes in historical references, though it was known they were definitely enjoyed at Sicilian tables. This same period saw Saracens growing them in Granada while the Moors were cultivating them in North Africa.
The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, or center, known as the “heart;” the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the “choke.” These are inedible in older larger flowers.
Artichoke contains phenolic compounds and antioxidants that act beneficially on the human health. Artichoke facilitates digestion and improves functions of liver and gall bladder. Artichoke can prevent development of coronary disorders via reduction of blood cholesterol levels.
Artichokes are a excellant source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium.They are also good source of vitamin B complex, vitamin K, vitamin E, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Artichokes also contain some of the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants among fresh vegetables.
Today, cultivation of artichokes is concentrated in the countries bordering the Mediterranean basin. The main European producers are Italy, Spain, and France and the main American producers are Argentina, Peru and the United States. A full 99 percent of the US commercial crop is grown in California today.
Artichokes can also be made into a herbal tea. “Artichoke tea” is produced as a commercial product in the Da Lat region of Vietnam. A herbal tea called Ceai de Anghinare based on artichoke is made in Romania. The flower portion is put into water and consumed as a herbal tea in Mexico. It has a slightly bitter woody taste.
Artichoke is the primary flavor of the 16.5%-alcohol (33-proof) Italian liqueur Cynar produced by the Campari Group. It can be served over ice as an aperitif or as a cocktail mixed with orange juice, especially popular in Switzerland. It is also used to make a ‘Cin Cyn’, a slightly less-bitter version of the Negroni cocktail, by substituting Campari by Cynar.
In the United States, whole globe artichokes are most frequently prepared for cooking by removing all but 5 to 10 millimeters or so of the stem, and (optionally) cutting away about a quarter of each scale with scissors. This removes the thorns that can interfere with handling the leaves when eating. Then, the artichoke is boiled or steamed until tender. If boiling, salt can be added to the water, if desired.

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