Shawl " Italian artichoke»

"Italian Artichoke»
Artichoke-the" aristocratic thorn " of the Mediterranean. This is the name of one of the most unusual "vegetables" of our time. Artichoke is a completely unique food. It's not a vegetable or a fruit. Artichoke-flower! Or rather, a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, which looks like a Thistle. In nature it looks like a huge weed. And its height can reach 2 m. The unopened basket of the future flower is used for food, which in adulthood blooms with beautiful purple or blue buds. But those who are not afraid of its hard petals will be rewarded: behind them lies the delicate taste and purifying power of its tender heart.
Artichoke is one of the plants uniquely associated with Italy. Its name is of Northern Italian origin and goes back to the Ligurian cocali – " cone».
People were engaged in growing artichoke even before our era. This unusual plant is native to North Africa. Around 800, the North African Moors began cultivating artichokes in the area of Spanish Grenada, and almost simultaneously the Saracens who occupied Sicily came up with this idea. The Greek philosopher Theophastes wrote about artichokes grown in Sicily in the third century BC.
This vegetable was actively grown in Ancient Greece and Rome. But with the decline of the Roman economy, artichokes migrated to the category of scarce products, and were revived in Renaissance Florence. Catherine de ' Medici played a crucial role in the fate of the inconspicuous plant. After marrying king Henry II of France, she brought to her new home many things that connected her with her native Florence, including artichokes.
The artichoke currently grows in Central and southern Europe, North Africa, South America, and California
Today, in American California, large areas are occupied by artichokes, which appeared here at the end of the XIX century with the Spanish colonists. According to various sources there are now between 95 and 135 species of artichoke in the world.
Artichoke has a specific taste that may surprise you when you first meet it, but try it again and you will fall in love with it forever! By the way, it is because of this specific taste-sweet, with metallic notes – that all sommeliers in the world are afraid of artichokes, because it is incredibly difficult to choose wine for them! It's hard to believe that artichokes used to grow everywhere and were very cheap. And now this dish is considered a delicacy and delicacy of cooking!
What is made from artichoke? It is added to salads, baked pies with it, added to pizza, lasagna, stuffed, made soups, sauces, casseroles, it is perfectly combined with meat and fish as a side dish. In Vietnam, they drink tea from dried artichoke. You can safely experiment with this plant, creating your own unique recipes.
And the unusual color palette of the inflorescence of an artichoke
you can comfortably throw it on your shoulders by purchasing this mini shawl " Italian artichoke».
A small, comfortable mini shawl with an original asymmetrical shape is versatile in use.