Cardoon

The cardoon is a bi-annual Plante herbaceous of the family of the Astéracées, cultivated like Vegetable for its fleshy “coasts” (petiole and developed principal vein of the sheets) consumed like Légume.

  • scientific Name: Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. cardunculus , family of the Astéracées, tribe of the Cynareae .

  • Common noun: cardoon, cardoon of Spain, wild artichoke, chardonette.

  • of: Kardone, Cardy, Gemüseartischocke, Kardon, Cardoon, spanische Artischocke, in: cardoon, be: cardo of comer, cardo, cardo edible, it: cardo, cards, cardo spinoso, cardocelle, carduccio, carciofo, caglio: kardoen .

The term “cardoon” was borrowed from of Provence, of Latin cardo - onis , Chardon.

It is a form very close to the Artichaut, which was sometimes classified in a different species ( Cynara scolymus ), but which from now on is regarded as a form of Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. cardunculus .

Description

It is a bi-annual, long-lived plant by its rejections, which develops initially in rivet washer, then emits a thick principal stem and oarswoman who can reach two meters in height.

The sheets very large, long, deeply divided into acute lobes, of color silver plated gray, are lengthily petiolate. The Pétiole which is prolonged in principal Nervure is broad and fleshy, and constitutes the part edible of the cardoon coasts (one collects the petiole of the large external sheets).

The flowers, purplished blue, are joined together in flowerheads which appear as from the second year. These flowerheads, surrounded by an involucre of bractées pointed, but smaller than those of artichoke, are also edible.

The seeds are surmounted Akène S oblong of a feathery aifrette which separate easily.

Origin and distribution

This species is originating in the areas méditerranéneenes:

It was naturalized by the culture a little everywhere. She is regarded as plants invading with the the United States. It is a plant, like artichoke, frost-susceptible; it does not resist temperatures lower than − 4  °C.

This plant appeared among the vegetables recommended in the Capitulaire De Villis to the Moyen-âge.

Culture

Prefer a ground fresh, deep, well worked, smoked and rich in organic matter and a sunny exposure.

The multiplication is done in spring, by sowing in seedbed sheltered or place after the frosts, in April - May. In the event of sowing in seedbed, the seedlings are mended at the stage 3-4 sheets when the room temperature exceeds the 12  °C.

Before harvest, one carries out “bleaching”, intended to tenderize the coasts, which consists with étioler the plants of attaching them after having wrapped them of an opaque film, and possibly with ridged on approximately a 25 cm height.

The harvest of the coasts intervenes with the autumn, five to six months after sowing.

Principal varieties

Use

Cardoon coasts, or carding brushes, with the taste very close to that of artichoke, are consumed cooked. They adapt out of sautée or to gratin, often with white sauce. This preparation in the form of gratin is, in Provence like in the area of Geneva and with Lyon, one of the dishes impossible to circumvent of the traditional meal of the Christmas day before. One also prepares them in Omelet S.

It is a food far from heating (13 calories/100 G), rich in biogenic salts, potassium, calcium, very rich in fibers.

Economic aspects

It is a vegetable of low economic importance. The production of cardoons is especially developed in Spain and Italy. In France, its culture is practiced especially in the area Lyon is born. In Swiss, in the Canton of Geneva, only area to cultivate it, the silver plated thorny cardoon (variety of Plainpalais) obtained a AOC on October 7th, 2003.

External bonds

  • gratin of Geneva
  • gratin of High Savoy

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