Artichokes

Among the world's unsung heroes stands the first person curious-and hungry-enough to eat an artichoke. This member of the Cynara family resembles its thistle cousins in being hard to approach; its thornlike bristles and prickers defend it well against casual grazers.

The medicinal properties of artichoke made it popular in the ancient world, where it was also grown for food. Its major active chemical, cynarin, was valued in traditional medicine for gallbladder and liver disorders related to bile production. European scientific studies in the 1960s and 1970s focused on cholesterol-lowering properties of cynarin. The National Cancer Institute is exploring the functions of the antioxidant silymarin, shared by Cynara family members, in lowering the toxicity of chemotherapy, conducting tests on closely-related milk thistle.

The edible globe artichoke, originally Mediterranean, is now grown throughout many parts of Europe, South and North America. A biennial plant, it requires fairly intensive hand-cultivation.

What to Look For:

1. Large or small tightly-curled outer leaves.
2. Green to purplish-green color; avoid brown and black marks.
3. Heavy weight for size.

Preparing Artichokes and Storage Tips:

1. Refrigerate artichokes loosely wrapped in plastic bag.
2. When ready to use, cut off stems. Remove prickers at the ends of leaves with scissors, cutting them from as many layers of leaves as possible. Loosen layers of leaves gently with dull knife just enough to cut prickers.
3. Discard any split or discolored leaves.
4. Small artichokes can be split lengthwise for quicker cooking.
5. Artichoke hearts are most easily separated from leaves after cooking.

Cooking with Artichokes:

Many American women first learned all about artichokes and their preparation by watching Julia Child's first French cooking television series in the 1960s, creating a demand seen before only in Italian-American neighborhood markets. ("Julia's" subsequent lesson on never-fail hollandaise sauce briefly gained artichokes the erroneous reputation of being high-calorie!) Steamed or boiled, artichokes are greatly enhanced by sauces rich in dairy products or olive oil. Cold, leaves can be separated to accommodate seafood salads. Traditional Italian cooking often involves simmering small artichokes, halved or quartered, in broth or sauteing them briefly in garlic and olive oil.

Artichoke Nutrition Highlights:

As noted above, the antioxidant properties, combined with good levels of choline in the presence of B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12), of artichokes suggest their beneficial roles in cholesterol reduction and liver health. Artichoke components are still classified as dietary supplements rather than medications in American medicine, but scientific studies continue. In the meantime, high levels of fiber and low calories make artichokes an attractive choice for meals-with or without the hollandaise sauce.

Nutrients of Artichoke