I love watching cooking shows that feature simple easy-to-make recipes and gourmet recipes. Most of the time the chef would make use of this somewhat odd-looking yet versatile ingredient called an artichoke. But what does artichoke taste like? I started to become fascinated and curious about artichokes, particularly about its taste, because of the variety of dishes that you can make using it. If you’re curious, read on to find out what I’ve learned about the intricately interesting artichoke.

The thistle plant, the plant from where the artichoke came from produces large purple thistles when its flower fully blooms. Artichokes are plucked from the thistle plant before the flower’s stage of growth. It is an immature flower bud of the thistle plant. It is round, green, and some of it are tulip-shaped with little purple tips.

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There are two common types of artichoke that are used for cooking—the Globe Artichoke and The Baby Artichoke. The Globe Artichokes are the main stalk of the plant, while Baby Artichokes are the offshoots of the plant. Baby Artichokes are from the smaller stems creating a smaller artichoke. Baby Artichokes are more tender and can actually be eaten raw.

Artichokes have different parts: (1)stem; (2)heart; (3)center choke; (4)inner petals; (5)outer petals; and (6)thorns. You can eat almost the entire artichoke. The stem is edible, the heart is edible, and the base of the leaves are edible.

At the center part of the artichoke is a really tight cluster of leaves. It is where the choke lips are located. If you accidentally eat the choke, you will know why this vegetable gained the name Artichoke. The choke lips will literally get stuck in your throat and make you choke. So, that part of the vegetable is completely not edible, except in Baby Artichokes. It is easier to remove the choke once the artichokes are cooked up.

Health Benefits

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Nutritionally, artichokes have lots to offer: tons of fiber, lots of antioxidants, dietary fiber, folic acid, and a good dose of Vitamin C. It is high in nutrient and low in calorie, which is exactly the type of foods that we want to be piling into our diet. A large artichoke only has about 50 calories.

How to Spot a Good Artichoke

• Like lots of fruits and veggies, you are going to see artichokes at the grocery store almost all year round, but its prime time is really in the spring and in the fall. This is when you’re going to get the best flavor, highest nutrients, and the best cost.
• When buying artichokes, you have to look for artichokes that have a fiber green color. It should also feel a little bit heavy for its size. It should feel nice and plump, not hollow.
• Look for artichokes that have a tight head. The leaves are compact and not splayed out. A really fresh artichoke will literally squeak when you squeeze it. Occasionally, you may find an artichoke that has some brown streaking on the leaves, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a result of frost.
• As for the stem, the fresher the cut the better. So try to avoid any artichokes that are super shriveled up on the bottom.

For storage, put the artichokes into an air-tight plastic bag and pop it into the veggie bin. It could last in the fridge for about a week. Artichokes should be used sooner than later. So try to buy it closer to the date you plan on using it.

What does Artichoke Taste Like?

• Artichokes have a clean, fresh, earthy taste like most vegetables.
• It doesn’t have a strong flavor profile.
• Unseasoned artichoke would bring to mind the taste of fried egg whites.
• Artichoke taste like boiled, somewhere in between celery and asparagus with a gentle nutty undertone like broccoli. To eat boiled or steamed globe artichokes, just pluck the leaves from the side, and using your teeth scrape the artichoke meat located at the base of the leaves. The texture of the artichoke meat from the leaves could be likened to a boiled potato. Whereas, the texture of the artichoke heart is juicy, tender, and soft. It can be compared to an eggplant, but with a sweeter taste.
• Fried artichoke taste like fried asparagus.
• Grilled Artichoke taste like a more sweeter and smoky flavor. The texture is comparable to grilled asparagus.

The mild taste of an artichoke is actually what makes it versatile because it can easily be paired with other ingredients to concoct unique and delicious recipes.

How to Prepare Artichokes

Artichoke is one of the vegetables that can be a little bit intimidating to work with, but once you know what to do with it and how to work with it, artichokes are actually quite simple.

A Little Caveat: Artichokes have an enzyme in it that causes it to oxidize fairly quickly. It turns brown once you start cutting into it. To avoid this, use a stainless steel knife and pot. Use of iron or aluminum utensils will cause the artichokes to turn brown. It’s also important to have a lemon handy. Rubbing a lemon on the sliced parts of the artichoke will also stop the oxidation process.

1. Rinse the artichokes well in cold water. If it seems especially dirty, it could be soaked in a water bath for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Pull off the little random tough leaves around the stem and the base of the artichoke.
3. Trim the stem, leaving about an inch. Scour the bottom of the stem. Scouring the bottom of the stem will help the artichoke cook more evenly. Remember to rub the scoured part with a lemon.
4. Cut the top quarter portion of each leaf using a pair of kitchen scissors. The spiky part of the leaves, which is the thorn, is not edible and it could actually prick you. Start cutting at the base and work your way up. Rub the cut areas with lemon.
5. Using a serrated knife, slice off the top part of the artichoke, the part where the leaves are really tight and thin. Rub the sliced part with lemon.
6. The artichokes are now ready to be cooked or added into the dish that you intend to concoct. Artichokes can be cooked in various ways-steam, boiled, baked, fried, and grilled.

Conclusion: The Versatile Artichoke

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Artichoke cooked on its own is already a refreshing nutritious snack. Be creative and tweak it a little and you could turn it into an interesting dish. It’s a vegetable that has a taste uniquely of its own. If you haven’t tasted an artichoke yet, I greatly urge you do so.

Now you know what artichoke taste like – check out our other food posts.

About the Author

Hi. I’m Dan Harris, the founder of TidytheGarden.com. My wife and I started gardening 5 years ago. Neither one of us had any gardening background but we loved the idea of growing our own organic food. Over the years, our garden has almost doubled in size and I’ve learned a lot from my season’s successes and failures. I’ve been excited to share my own beginning knowledge and special skills with all garden lovers. You can contact me via Twitter @DannGarden

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