Artichokes
by Gudrun Maybaum
Winter 2003
Name: Artichokes
Latin Name: Cynara Scolymus
Family: Asteraceae
The first written evidence of artichokes dates back to around 400 BC, when the Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus mentioned them as being grown in Greek and Sicily. Artichokes originated in Carthage (modern-day Tunisia) and were introduced to Europe by the Greeks. At the time of Christ, the Greek physician Dioscordes called artichokes a delicacy and an aphrodisiac.
It was around 800 AD that the Moors and Saracens, who were already cultivating them in North Africa, began the same process in southern Spain and Sicily. From there, artichokes found their way to Naples, then traveled to Florence about 1466.
Like so many other vegetables which she and her cooks took with her, artichokes were probably introduced to France by Catherine de Medici when she married King Henry II.
During the nineteenth century, Spaniards introduced artichokes to California and the French brought them to Louisiana. In Louisiana, artichokes remained a common dish, but they were reintroduced to California in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants who started growing them on several hundred acres near Half Moon Bay. Most of their first big harvest in 1906 was sent to the east coast. To this day, California still grows 100% of the United States crop.
Artichokes are a delicious vegetable containing many phytonutrients with numerous health-enhancing effects. Long ago, the Romans ate artichokes not only as a delicacy but as an aid to digestion. Since then, they have been used this way by many healers and doctors. The Italians even make a digestive liquor called Cynar like the artichoke's Latin name.
Cynarin is actually one of the main ingredients in artichokes. It increases bile production, relieving nausea and bloat after a rich meal within a very short time.
In a 6-week trial of 533 patients with indigestion, 82% showed improvement of nausea, 66% for bloating and 75% for abdominal pain. This trial led to another one lasting 6 months showing an overall improvement of 73%.
According to some studies in Germany, cynarin has the ability to help the body lower cholesterol levels by boosting the production of the bile in the liver and the flow of the bile of the gall bladder. Because the body uses cholesterol to make bile acids, increasing bile acid production decreases blood levels of cholesterol.
Traditionally, artichokes have been used to treat indigestion and dyspepsia, but another important ingredient is silymarin. Silymarin is a flavonoid that helps the liver regenerate healthy tissue, and it has a powerful antioxidant effect. Japanese scientists did a study on mice in which they added a thousandth of silymarin to their diet. The occurrence of bladder cancer decreased significantly, and silymarin also helped prevent precancerous growths.
Artichokes are a marine climate vegetable and thrive in near the coast. They grow best in climates with mild winters and cool, foggy summers. They also need a minimum of 100 frost-free days to mature. The soil must to be well watered with good drainage, and a ph level of 6-7 is very important. Plants should be started indoors in a well-lighted area in February. When temperatures are certain to stay above freezing, artichokes can be planted outside, though it would be easier to start with root divisions from nurseries. The globes can be harvested at any time, but before the bracts open.
Cut off the stem and about 1 inch of the top leaves;
Pull the leaves apart;
Put in a pot with about ½ inch water;
Cut some garlic into very small pieces and sprinkle over artichoke, try to get as many as possible between the leaves;
Pour some olive oil over it, which will take the garlic deeper between the leaves; Simmer very slowly until done.
My birds love them this way as much as I do!
References
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch48.html
http://www.rain-tree.com/artichoke.htm
http://www.herbalinfo.org.uk/Herbs/Artichke.html
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ArtichokeHistory.htm
http://www.oceanmist.com/artnutrition.htm
http://www.cancerdecisions.com/021902.html
http://www.ofspirit.com/vickimonroe2.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/diet_nutrition/artichokes.htm
http://www.foodfit.com/healthy/archive/healthySeasonPick_mar03.asp
http://www.healthwell.com/delicious-online/d_backs/nov_02/update6.cfm
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/veginfo/commodity/artichoke/GrowingArtichokes.pdf