Cardoon

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Cardoon

Cardoon in flower

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Cynara
Species:	C. cardunculus

Binomial name

Cynara cardunculus
L.

Cardoon, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 20 kcal 70 kJ

Carbohydrates	4.07 g
- Dietary fiber 1.6 g
Fat	0.1 g
Protein	0.7 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.02 mg	2%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.03 mg	2%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.3 mg	2%
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.338 mg	7%
Vitamin B6 0.116 mg	9%
Folate (Vit. B9) 68 μg	17%
Vitamin C 2 mg	3%
Calcium 70 mg	7%
Iron 0.7 mg	6%
Magnesium 42 mg	11%
Phosphorus 23 mg	3%
Potassium 400 mg	9%
Zinc 0.17 mg	2%

Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), also called the artichoke thistle, cardone, cardoni, carduni or cardi, is a thistle-like plant which is member of the Aster family, Asteraceae; (or archaic: Daisy family, Compositae). It is a naturally occurring variant of the same species as the Globe artichoke, and has many cultivated varieties. It is native to the Mediterranean, where it was domesticated in ancient times.

The earliest description of the cardoon comes from the fourth century BCE Greek writer Theophrastus. The cardoon was popular in Greek and Roman cuisine. Cardoons remained popular in medieval and early modern Europe, and were common in the vegetable gardens of colonial America. The fell from fashion only in the late nineteenth century.

Cardoon stalks can be covered with small, nearly invisible spines that can cause substantial pain if they become lodged in the skin. Several "spineless" cultivars have been developed to overcome this but care in handling is recommended for all types.

While the flower buds can be eaten much as the artichoke, more often the stems are eaten after being braised in cooking liquid. Battered and fried, the stems are also traditionally served at St. Joseph's altars in New Orleans.

The stalks, which look like large celery stalks, are delicious steamed or braised. They have an artichoke-like flavor. Cardoons are available in the market only in the winter months.

The main root can be boiled and served cold.^[1]

Cardoons are an ingredient in one of the national dishes of Spain, the Cocido Madrileno, a slow-cooking, one-pot, meat and vegetable dinner simmered in broth, cardoons are traditional in the cocidos of Madrid.

Cardoon requires a long, cool growing season (ca. 5 months) but it is frost-sensitive. It also typically requires substantial growing space per plant and hence is not much grown save where it is a regional favorite.

The cardoon is highly invasive and is able to adapt to dry climates. It has become a major weed in the pampas of Argentina and California; it is also considered a weed in Australia.

Cardoon has attracted recent attention as a possible source of biodiesel. The oil, extracted from the seeds of the cardoon, and called artichoke oil, is similar to safflower and sunflower oil in composition and use.^[2]