Artichoke: origin, origin and synonyms

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Artichokes have been grown for centuries. We inform you about the origin, the origin and the history of the healthy vegetables.

Artichoke flower
Artichokes have ornamental flowers. [Photo: Alex_Zet / Shutterstock.com]

the artichoke with its radiant flowers and delicious buds has its origins in the Middle East. Archaeological excavations have even proven that the ancient Egyptians cultivated this healthy vegetable and presumably enjoyed the magnificent inflorescences. To this day, numerous wall paintings of this thistle-like daisy family (= plant family) have been discovered in the region.

Artichoke: Popular with florists and hobby gardeners

The high decorative value means that many florists nowadays fall back on these beautiful and slit leaves with their magnificent flowers. Many hobby gardeners also enjoy the stylish color of the artichoke in their home garden. It has been venerated in the Mediterranean for many centuries and its positive effects on the human body were already known under the pharaohs. The artichoke, for example, was used as a kind of slimming diet back then.

Origin and current growing areas of the artichoke

It is actually at home in the entire Mediterranean area. There is evidence that also in Persia (today's Iran), in North Africa to today's Ethiopia and even on the In the Canary Islands and in many regions of South America the artichoke has been cultivated and used for nutritional purposes for many centuries will. Records also show that the artichoke was a highly valued crop even under the Romans. Already in the 2nd In the 19th century the artichoke was a popular crop in many Roman markets. Herbalist Phillip Strozzi was the first European to start cultivating artichokes in the Naples area, paving the way for large-scale cultivation. For a long time, especially among the French aristocracy, it was considered a sign of prosperity to have bright artichoke flowers in your own garden. During the 15th In the 19th century, the fragrant vegetable with its healthy ingredients conquered Italy and France and from there the artichoke quickly spread throughout Europe. Nowadays the main growing regions are in Italy and France, but there is also a commercial culture in Egypt, Spain and the USA. The artichoke is still considered a real delicacy today. In addition to fresh artichokes, there are also processed products such as elixirs, tea blends, capsules and many more to discover.

You can also in this country Planting artichokes in the garden. You can find out how best to proceed and valuable care tips in our special article.