The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and artichoke fun facts. As we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know.

We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”

For today’s Did You Know we will look at Artichoke Fun Facts.

Artichoke Fun Facts: The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom.

• The artichoke is technically a flower bud that has not yet bloomed.
• Artichokes were introduced to England by the Dutch in the 1500s and were brought to the United States in the 19th century by French and Spanish immigrants.
• March 16th is National Artichoke Heart Day.
• Until the 16th century, women were prohibited from eating them in many countries because they were still considered to have aphrodisiac properties.
• Artichokes should never be cooked in aluminum pots. They tend to turn the pots a gray color.
• The top artichoke producers today are Spain, France, and Italy.
• California produces 100% of the United States artichoke crop, with Castroville, California calling itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.”
• In 1947 Marilyn Monroe, then still going by her given name Norma Jean, was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen.

Artichoke Fun Facts We Missed

Let us know if we may have missed any artichoke fun facts in the comment section below. If we can verify that the facts is just that, a fact, we will give the reader credit in the article.

Reference: Wikipedia: Fun Facts about Artichokes.

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