Fresh artichokes sautéed with Iberian ham

Globe artichokes were much loved in Moorish times. They originally grew wild throughout the Mediterranean basin but it is thought that superior cultivated versions came to Al-Andalus from North Africa. The Spanish name, alcachofa, actually derives from the Arabic, al khurshuuf. Artichokes are very nutritious: low in calories, high in antioxidants, fiber, and minerals and help combat cholesterol. In fact, the Greeks and Romans were the first to extol their health-giving propert