Knowra Artichoke Artichoke An artichoke is the edible, immature flower head of a cultivated thistle, usually the globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus). Its fleshy base and inner bracts are eaten before the flower opens.
Globe artichoke : A cultivated perennial thistle grown for its immature flower heads and fleshy leaf bases. This is the plant whose unopened flower head is commonly sold as an artichoke.
Artichoke heart : The tender receptacle at the base of an artichoke flower head, often eaten after the bracts are removed. It is the bud's prized edible base, distinct from its surrounding bracts.
Mediterranean Basin : The lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and their connected climates and cultures. The cultivated artichoke developed as a food crop in this region.
Jerusalem artichoke : A sunflower relative cultivated for its edible underground tubers. Despite its name, it is unrelated to the globe artichoke as a crop and is eaten for its tuber.
Asteraceae : A large flowering-plant family that includes daisies, sunflowers, and thistles. Artichokes belong to this family, whose flowers are composed of many small florets.
Artichoke leaf : A bract of an artichoke flower head, with a fleshy base that can be eaten. The fleshy lower portion is commonly scraped from each bract during eating.
Cardoon : A cultivated thistle closely related to the globe artichoke, grown mainly for its leaf stalks. Cardoon and artichoke are closely related crops selected for different edible parts.
Broccoli : A cultivated cabbage whose immature flowering shoots are eaten as a vegetable. Both are harvested before flowering, but broccoli's edible shoots are not thistle flower heads.
Capitulum : A compact flower cluster in which many small florets sit on a shared receptacle. An artichoke is a harvested capitulum, not a single flower.
Cooking : The application of heat to food to improve its flavor, texture, safety, or digestibility. Boiling, steaming, roasting, and braising soften the artichoke's tough bracts.
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