artichoke recipes

.artichokes

As we’ve already seen there’re many different names to call them. Here we have some others: carciòffula, carciofaia, carciòufu, caquòrcila, cacuòrciulo, cacùccila and many others more.
However in the spoken language, the most interesting way to call it is missing: capòzzula is also important to understand the sense. “Caput” means head, better, the top of the thistle of artichokes.
Though well known in Roman times, artichokes was forgotten for a long time and discovered again during Middle Ages thanks to big importations from Ethiopia: we have some hints first in Tuscany and then in Veneto. In the 16th century they spread throughout Sicily most of all: here they found their own habitat. In the island cooking artichokes are used in big quantities and they’re only second for the number of recipes you can cook. According to the popular tradition, eating artichokes make you hoarse, while saltes sardines make your voice clearer. It’s worth talking about the wild artichoke, small and so prickly; it grows up spontaneously in rocks and it’s sold (already boiled) in markets along the streets. This small inflorescence implies fascination, ways of living, habits: artichokes are not simply food, it’s a opportunity to stay with friends with something in the hand and also a good chance to drink wine. In the language of flowers the artichoke is a symbol of hope; maybe this is why pedlars ask people to buy artichokes shouting “Buy them, they’ll warm up your genitals”