Product Review

According to historians, this member of the thistle family originated in the Mediterranean region and was especially popular in Sicilian and North African cuisine. Eventually the artichoke migrated to Italy, and when the famous Italian Catherine de Medici moved to France in 1533 to be the queen of Henry II, she took her passion for artichokes with her. Her appetite for this vegetable scandalized the people of her day, as the artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac and only eaten by men. In time, artichokes became a culinary delight only afforded by the elite. The French brought this vegetable to Louisiana, while two Italian brothers introduced it to California. California still produces nearly all of the United States' supply of artichokes, with Castroville, CA being named as the Artichoke Capital of the World. Green Globe, first appearing in catalogs in 1863, is a favorite of commercial growers.