History and Lore

The crosne is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), a perennial in the same family as many culinary herbs, such as basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Also known as Chinese artichoke or Japanese artichoke (although related to neither the globe artichoke nor the Jerusalem artichoke), it is native to northern China and Japan. Crosnes were introduced to France in 1882, when Dr. Brentschneider, a physician with the Russian Legation in Beijing and an avid plant collector, sent some tubers to Auguste Pailleux, a noted acclimatiseur, who planted some on rented land near his garden in the village of Crosne. That handful of tubers multiplied successfully within a couple of years and crosnes became popular in the markets of France. Although their popularity increased throughout Europe, France is the only western country that grows them on a large scale.