Artichokes

The globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus), which originated in the Mediterranean basin, is a member of the thistle family. Artichokes were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who served them in a sauce of honey and vinegar. North African Arabs improved the artichoke during Europe’s Dark Ages and introduced the new version into Muslim-controlled parts of southern Italy. During the Renaissance, the improved artichoke became highly prized, first in Italian and later in French cookery. Artichokes were also introduced into England at this time, and recipes for them appear in British cookbooks. Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery, a manuscript once owned by George Washington’s wife, contains a seventeenth-century recipe titled “To Make Hartichoak Pie.”