Wild One Cyprus

foraging food

Wild artichoke

Χωστή

Gafgarit

Scientific Name: Cynara cornigera

other names: White Artichoke, παραχωστές

AVAILABLE: JAN-APR

EDIBLE PARTS:

Description

preparation

pick tender stems
peel off the spines
steam or boil and serve with olive oil and lemon

extra info

a comparison on the 3 varieties, Cynara cornigera for its leaves, Cynara cardunculus for its stems and Cynara makrisii for its flower heads:

Cynara cornigera:
a smaller plant that lays its grey-green leaves along the ground. The leaves are not as deeply lobed and are not as spiky. The flower-head is more spherical and the flower is a very pale pink

Cynara cardunculus:
A tall and bushy plant where both the stem and the grey-green leaves are covered in spines. The flower-head is more spherical and the flower is a vivid violet-purple

Cynara makrisii:
A tall and bushy plant with fewer spines on the stem and vibrant green leaves. The flower-head is more egg-shaped and the flower is a light mauve-purple