Description

The artichoke is a vegetable appreciated for its great virtues. Due to its high content of fibre, vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and calcium, it is considered a health food, especially for the liver and digestion. The artichoke is a plant belonging to the artichoke family. Asteraceaewidespread in the Mediterranean region, theItaly holds the world record for its production.

Artichoke varieties

The artichoke is a treasure available on our tables, depending on the varieties grown throughout Italy, for more than eight months of the year, October to June. In general, artichokes can be divided into four groups: violet, romanesque, thorny and Catanese. Among them, some very valuable qualities are Slow Food Presidia, DOP or DOCG or IGP. The largest cultivations are in Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily. In particular the Sicily is the first artichoke producer in Italy with different violet varieties which take their name from the colour of the green foliage fading to violet at the top, and are differentiated according to the collection area: from Syracuse, from Catania, from Niscemi, from Lentini and many others. Sicilian artichokes, with the exception of the thorny Palermo, are mostly defencelessi.e. without thorns. These vegetables are very tasty and excellent in a variety of culinary preparations, both cooked and raw. Fantastic barbecued, stuffed with breadcrumbs or fried. Worldwide, there are about 90 varieties of artichokes, differing in shape, presence of thorns and colour.

Structure and properties of artichokes

Artichokes are the inflorescence of the plant Cynara scolymus belonging to the Asteraceae family, harvested and consumed as a vegetable. The edible parts of the artichoke are the leaf base and the bottom of stemwhich are peeled and stripped of their woody, hard parts. The inner part of the artichoke consists of a series of shield-shaped leaves enclosing the central part, known as the 'heart"which is the most tender and valuable part. Artichokes have several medicinal properties and have been used in folk medicine for centuries. The plant has properties depurative e drainingbeneficial for the liver and for the digestionwith high power antioxidant. Low in calories, it contains substances called cynarin e chlorogenic acidwhich have beneficial effects on digestion and liver function. Artichoke is also rich in fibres and is a good source of potassium e footballimportant for bone health and the immune system. In addition, studies have suggested that artichoke consumption may have beneficial effects on blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.