A variety of ways can be used to prepare and eat an artichoke. They can be steamed, boiled, roasted, grilled, made into soup, put into cream cheese, the possibilities are endless. Even though artichokes can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, the simplest way to enjoy artichokes is by boiling them and serving them with olive oil.
Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean and are the edible flower buds of thistles in the sunflower family. In fact, if left to grow, the artichoke will produce spiky, brilliant purple flowers. It is believed that artichokes have been cultivated since antiquity by the North African Moors and that the Saracens, another Arab group, introduced them to Italy.
An artichoke has a mild, earthy flavor with herbaceous notes. The petals of the flower are crunchy, but the heart is softer and more intense in flavor. Contrary to other ways of preparing this thistle flower, boiling it softens it without changing or masking its flavor profile. Serving the artichoke with olive oil is the best way to enjoy its original flavor and texture, while leaving on your tongue a silky smoothness.
While the preparation of the artichoke is simple, it is important to enjoy it with quality olive oil. When choosing the right olive oil to pair with the edible thistle flower bud, pick one with notes that match what you are eating, as to keep the flavor profile as pure as possible.
Each of the French Olive oil above are a perfect match to pair with artichokes because each one of them have notes of artichokes.
Nicolas Alziari: is a pure, velvety and full-bodied extra virgin olive oil made using cold pressed method for over 100 years. This olive oil has delicate overtones of mango, hazelnut and artichoke makes it wonderful for dipping and drizzling.
Chateau Miraval: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made with olives grown under the Mediterranean sun in the Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region in France. This first cold-pressed olive oil has notes of almond, hazelnut and artichoke and gives off a complex, fresh, peppery flavor.
Moulin CastelaS Aglandau: olive variety from Provencal region. An elegant green fruity oil with notes of grass, followed by mint and artichokes, cold extracted within 6 hours of extract. It has fine balance between bitter and pepper.
Moulin Castelas Classic: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made with a blend of 4 varieties of olives local to the AOP Vallee des Baux de Provence. Freshly cold-pressed within 6 hours of harvest, this award-winning oil has natural aromas of artichoke, almond, apple and tomato and a complex peppery taste.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to preparing and eating artichokes. They can be steamed, roasted, grilled, stuffed and more. Even though artichokes can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, the simplest way to enjoy them is to eat them with an olive oil which has notes of artichokes for a pure flavor.
Been wanting to try new flavors? Explore our French and Tunisian artichoke based specialties in the link below.
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