The artichoke flavor cannot be confused with any other product. It vaguely resembles a walnut, but with a brighter and more refined flavor. Young inflorescences are eaten after boiling them. In this form, you can feel the true taste of an artichoke.
The artichoke looks like an unblown flower bud. It can also be confused with a huge burdock, which is actually a distant relative of this vegetable. And the young inflorescence of the artichoke, which is used for food, is the unblown bud of the flower, covered with large fleshy scales.
The artichoke has been known since ancient times as a delicacy. For the elite of Rome, an artichoke was prepared with various spices and honey, making its taste unique. Later, the vegetable became very common in French cuisine, which used it in a variety of dishes and spread it all over the world.
Each country prepares the artichoke differently. But the most famous and sure way is to boil young inflorescences and serve them with all kinds of sauces. It is this method of cooking artichoke that will reveal its amazing and unique taste.
Foodies liken artichoke to walnuts or green peas in taste. Amateurs give it a herbal-nutty flavor. But this is only a distant analogy, the true taste of an artichoke is not like anything, it is quite bright and specific.
In order to feel the real taste of this vegetable, you need to cook it correctly, and before that, choose a high-quality fruit. The artichoke should be light green with no dark spots about the size of a grapefruit. Its petals should fit snugly together and look fresh, juicy and youthful.
Before cooking, you need to cut off the sharp ends of the leaves and the lower part, and also remove the dark leaves. After that, the artichoke needs to be poured with lemon juice so that it does not darken.
You can cook a vegetable in a pot of water, in a double boiler, or bake it in the oven. When cooking, the water should be salted and lemon juice added, if the artichoke has not been watered with it. The steamer retains more of the useful properties of the product and does not become too watery. This way of cooking will reveal its true taste. The cooking time is on average about thirty minutes.
Readiness can be determined by the green-brown color of the vegetable, the leaves of which are easily separated. The outer part of the leaf is tough, so it is not eaten. The inner soft part of the petals is eaten.
Tasty to use artichoke with different sauces. A sauce consisting of butter, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper is very suitable. Spices can be added to your liking.
