The wild artichoke

The wild artichoke has several English names. This is probably because it is edible and has medicinal properties. It is known as the artichoke thistle, cardoon, cardone, cardoni, carduni or just cardi. In Maltese it is known as qaqoċċ tax-xewk but probably in different parts of the Maltese islands it has other names as well. It is the wild variety of the cultivated globe artichoke, what we in Malta know as qaqoċċ.
Wild artichoke is common in clayey areas and disturbed ground especially abandoned fields and roadsides. It is recognized by the large spiny leaves and also by the large bluish flowers. They appear from late spring to early summer so now is the time to go and look for them. There are many growing along the road that runs along the valley leading to and from Chadwick Lakes. You can get there either by going down a steep hill that starts from Rabat or else through a narrow road outside Mosta on the way to Rabat. The flowers resemble large blue-purple thistles. If you look into the flowers you should be able to find many small insects especially beetles.
The wild artichoke grows up to one metre high. The cultivated variety can grow up to two meters but I have not seen any higher than a metre in Malta. The globe artichoke is now grown widely especially around the Mediterranean.
About twenty five years ago I was watching birds of prey migrating at Cap Bon in Tunisia and the guard of the nature reserve shared his dinner with us. It consisted of a meat stew with the thick central part of the leaves of the wild artichoke which grows abundantly in the area. I have been thinking of trying the recipe since then but spring comes and goes and I have not yet got around to collecting some leaves. I will try to do it next spring when the leaves are at their best and I promise to write about it in this blog.