A few words about the artichoke!

Artichoke is a plant with nutritional value and curative properties that herbs would envy! This is a unique plant, all of which, from root to flower is therapeutic, with the sole exception of raw leaves that the milk inside has a toxicity that causes skin and digestive irritations.

The nutritional value of the artichoke is due to the many vitamins, minerals and trace elements such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorous, enzymes, tannin, protein substances, while it’s a food poor in carbohydrates, which makes it a food ideal for diabetics.

It is a perennial edible plant, belonging to the Asteraceae family, reaching about 1.5 meters hight and is a particular bush. Depending on the variety of artichoke if it is late or early, you will find it all year round except July, August and September.

The wild artichoke, a vegetable with the same properties as artichoke but with greater therapeutic and nutritional value, did not take long to be known for its healing action in Greece since antiquity.

The forms you can consume are many as you can infuse leaves, make a decoction or tincture of the root and hard shoots, and of course a delicious meal from the artichoke’s heads.

Characteristic is the shape of the foliage of the artichoke with open greenish leaves large and fluffy, while the fruit is heart-shaped and the flower of the artichoke has an impressive purple color. The root is hard and deep and the stem is resistant.

The medicinal properties of the artichoke are particularly sensitive to temperature, which means that the infusion and preparation of cold tincture are the best forms of use for therapeutic purposes.