Available beginning in November through the month of January, cardoons are members of the thistle family- grown wildly but also cultivated throughout Piedmont.
It was first described by Theophrastus in the 4th century BCE. He stated that its origin was Sicily, although it more than likely originally came from North Africa. The fleshy stalk resembles that of flattened celery, with a suede-like finish. When it is cooked, it has a subtle bittersweet flavor that hints of artichoke, but also suggests celery and salsify. Rarely seen on the market, cardoons are snapped up by knowledgeable connoisseurs because the vegetable is nearly extinct as a commercial plant, despite its popularity.
There are two types of cardoon: lunghi and gobbi. The lunghi are long, regular stalks that grow in a conventional manner. Gobbi types feature a well-known “hunchbacked shape” . Grown in sandy soil, the cardoon plant adopts their unique ‘hunchback’shape thanks to a particular cultivation technique. Once they are tall and vigorous, the cardaroli (growers) bend the plants over and cover them with soil. As they seek to regain sunlight, the plants swell and curve. The cardoon’s stalk is the prized and is harvested before flowering to yield crisp spikes that are peeled and eaten raw and cooked
In Piedmont, the favorite vegetable for bagna calda is the cardoon. Bagna Calda, a traditional piemontese antipasto, literally translates to “warm bath” is comprised of anchovy, oil and garlic. The cardoon is the perfect accompaniment because they are bittersweet, so the anchovies and garlic balance their flavor nicely.
For November’s regional dish, we like to showcase the cardoon’s exquisite flavor in a simple dish – such as our spaghetti with cardoons. Buon Appetito!
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