Globe Artichoke

Globe artichokes are the immature flower heads of a large thistle plant, prized for the tender heart at their centre and the fleshy bases of the outer leaves (or bracts). They have a mild, slightly nutty flavour that pairs well with butter, lemon, garlic, and olive oil.

Popular across Mediterranean cuisines, artichokes are enjoyed steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed, or braised. In Australia, they’re often simply boiled whole and eaten leaf by leaf — pulling each one through your teeth to scrape off the soft flesh — before reaching the prized heart. Artichoke hearts are also widely used in dips, pasta dishes, pizzas, and antipasto platters.

Fresh globe artichokes are in season in Australia from around September through to May. They’re also commonly available jarred or canned in brine or oil, which makes them a convenient pantry staple.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Globe artichokes are grown as perennial plants in temperate climates. The immature flower buds are harvested by hand, cut from the plant with a portion of stem attached before the buds open and flower. After harvest, they are trimmed and sorted by size. For fresh sale, they are cooled and packed promptly. For processed products, the outer leaves and choke (the fuzzy centre) are removed to isolate the heart.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 47kcal
Protein 3.3g
Carbs 5.1g
Fat 0.1g
Fibre 5.4g Sugar 1g
Mass Distribution

1 artichoke, medium is about 128 g — roughly 60 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.5kg
Freshwater ≈130L
Land ≈0.4m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

steamed or braised vegetable

Goes well with
lemon garlic butter white wine parmesan
Classic dishes
  • Carciofi alla romana
  • Barigoule
  • Artichoke dip
  • Steamed artichoke with aioli

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromGlobe Artichoke, flower head goes well withlemon goes well withgarlic goes well withbutter goes well withwhite wine shares a sourceArtichoke Heart
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction

Checking who you are...