This prickly, perennial member of the sunflower family is steeped in history and folklore. Considered a staple of California cuisine, the artichoke (Cynara scolymus) has been a favorite edible and medicinal vegetable for thousands of years by peoples around the “globe”.

According to Greek mythology, Zeus was visiting his brother Poseidon near the island of Zinary. One day as he emerged from the sea, he took a liking to a beautiful mortal girl. He was so attracted to the young woman, named Cynara, that after successfully seducing her, Zeus decided to make her a goddess. However, it wasn’t long before young Cynara grew homesick and snuck back to the mortal world to visit her mother. Soon after her return to Olympia, the mighty Zeus hurled the young girl back to Earth, transforming her into an Artichoke (thistle).

In 77 A.D., despite being considered “one of Earth’s monstrosities”, the Roman naturalist Gaius Plinius Secundus and some of his wealthy colleagues enjoyed artichokes prepared with honey, vinegar and seasoned with cumin!

Around 800 A.D., North African Moors began cultivating chokes in the area of Spain around Granada, and in Sicily. It is thought that the word artichoke was derived from the Arabic ardi shauk (ground-thorn). Later to be translated in Italian to articiocco.

The popularity and cultivation of the artichoke was lost for nearly 700 years by the fall of Rome. By the mid 1500’s, a 14 year old Catherine de Medici, married to King Henry II of France, is credited with the revival of the edible flower, bringing it from her native Italy.

By the 18th century, the artichoke regained its popularity and was cultivated throughout Europe, including the Royal gardens of England. French colonists brought artichokes to the U.S., where it was soon grown commercially throughout the Louisiana Territory. By the end of the 19th century, Spanish immigrants introduced them to California in the Monterey Bay area, where the choke thrived in the mild Mediterranean climate.

In 1922, Salinas Valley farm owner, Andrew Molera leased all of his land to Italian farmers. He encouraged them to try growing the “new” vegetable. It wasn’t long before chokes were going for 30-40 cents a piece in Boston! This sparked the interest of the mafia, who took advantage by terrorizing distributors, merchants and growers. These “artichoke wars” even caused the mayor of New York at the time to forbid the “sale, display and possession” of artichokes in New York. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia himself loved the vegetable, and lifted the ban a week later.

Well, there's no ban on artichokes now, and our climate is still perfect for growing them. Give them plenty of space (3-4 ft.), loose well-draining soil, consistent watering, and an organic liquid nitrogen fertilizer during growth, and you will be picking your first harvest by next spring. Now, and throughout the year at the nursery, you’ll find the classic & successful 'Green Globe' as well a couple of rare and delicious purple and Italian varieties.

Have fun in the garden!

– Che

More Artichoke Trivia

• Artichokes are one of the oldest foods known to man.
• Baby chokes are not a separate variety, but smaller flowers harvested at the lower parts of the plant.
• In the 16th century women were not allowed to eat artichokes because of their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.
• Nearly 100% of the chokes grown commercially for the U.S. are from California. 80% of that production comes from Monterey County.
• In 1949 Marilyn Monroe was dubbed the 1st official California Artichoke Queen at the Castroville Artichoke Festival (artichoke capitol of the world).
• If left on the stalk to bloom, the blossom is beautiful and smells scrumptious!