Cardo

The cardoon is related to the thistle and - like its other close relative, the artichoke — it has long leaves. Unlike the artichoke, however, it is the stem of the cardoon and not the flower that is eaten. To make it tender enough to eat, the cardoon is specially cultivated, as in Piedmont, where from around September to October the long stems and leaves are bent over (each region bends the stem in a different way) and covered with earth to protect them from the harsh winter weather. Over the following months they become perfectly white and extremely tender. Because of this peculiar way of blanching them they take on a permanently curved shape and are commonly called gobbi (hunchbacks).