Artichokes...This Artichokes Page is from the Cretan Diet section of the Completely Crete website. The website offers information and an insiders guide to getting the most from Crete, its beaches, its resorts, its food, its culture, its history.
Artichokes
They are said to be an Aphrodisiac, a haemorrhoid cure & a snack to eat with the local fire water - Tsikoudia (Raki).
Artichokes are lovely flavoured vegetables but quite tricky to prepare. The artichoke comes from the thistle family and its leaves are edible, as is the bottom part of the flower, called the heart. They are of course a seasonal vegetable available here in Crete in the springtime and are used in the traditional Cretan diet. The locals collect them from the wild and cook them simply by boiling and serving with olive oil and lemon juice. They are also widely available at the farmers markets of Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos. If you cannot get hold of fresh artichokes and go to the trouble of preparing and cooking them you can always buy frozen artichoke hearts. The artichoke is very high in fibre, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Artichokes are low in calories and are naturally fat-free making them perfect to eat on a weight loss diet. The artichoke is also a natural diuretic and aids digestion. The Artichoke is also high in cynarine, a chemical which stimulates the production of bile which helps the digestion of fats and helps to lower cholesterol. One medium cooked artichoke with no added salt has 4.2 grams protein and 6.5 grams of fibre. Artichokes are rich in Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B9 and Vitamin C.
The artichoke is featured in the Cretan Bowl Diet. If you want to know more about the brilliant and easy weight loss diet of the Cretan Bowl Diet, based on the Cretan Diet then visit our sister site of the Cretan Bowl Diet .Com
Preparing Artichokes
If allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to six inches in diameter and are a beautiful violet colour. Generations of Cretans have used both the flower and the leaves in an infusion to treat fever. The pounded fresh leaves made into a poultice are an effective treatment for haemorrhoids and for tonsillitis – or so I'm told!
It is eaten raw, dipped in lemon and olive oil by men sitting in kafenions drinking the local fire water – Tsikoudia (Raki). They claim it to be a potent aphrodisiac! Native to the Mediterranean artichokes were a firm favourite with wealthy Romans who dipped them in honey and vinegar and considered them both a delicacy and an aphrodisiac. This is despite the fact that Pliny, the Roman naturalist spoke of the choke as "One of the earth’s monstrosities." Artichokes were later imported to America by the Italian emigrants around the 1800s where the artichoke became a favourite "new' vegetable and farmers in California were encouraged to grow the crop. Later a New York Mafia leader was dubbed the "Artichoke King" after he began his monopoly of the artichoke market. Using violence and terror to control the price by farmers, distributors and produce merchants he began what became known as the artichoke wars in 1935. These "artichoke wars" led the Mayor of New York, La Guardia, to briefly outlaw the sale of artichokes until competitive distribution could be ensured. He lifted the ban after just one week and publicly admitted that he himself loved the vegetable. A decade later a future Hollywood starlet named Norma Jean also found fame with the humble artichoke when in 1947 she was crowned the first Queen of the Artichokes in Castroville, California, known as the artichoke capital of the world. Norma later became the legend that is Marilyn Monroe.
To learn more about the Cretan Diet and how it can help you live a longer and healthier life then we highly recommend the acclaimed Cretan Cooking brilliantly written and photographed by Nikos and Maria Psilakis. With 265 easy to follow recipes with wonderful colour photographs this recipe book is a must have for all lovers of Crete, the Cretan Diet and healthy food. The miracles of the Cretan diet, the most wholesome cuisine of the Mediterranean are unfolded in this great little recipe book. You can buy this brilliant book by visiting our Cretan Village Shop where you can buy Crete Recipe Books, books on the Cretan Diet and Cretan Olive Oil and how it can make you healthier and live longer. We also supply the very best top quality Cretan Extra Virgin Olive Oil organically grown and traditionally produced plus the best quality dried Organic Cretan Herbs and Spices that add flavour, aroma and variety to foods. We ship anywhere in the world, direct from our little Crete Village Shop!
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