Artichokes The artichoke is one of the oldest known foods to man. Theophrastun, an ancient Greek philosopher naturalist wrote them being grown in Italy and Sicily in 317-287 BC. The Greeks and Roman held the artichoke in high esteem. During the middle ages, it was considered to be an aphrodisiac. The word artichoke comes from the medieval Arabic word kharshuf. “Artichoke" is derived from the northern Italian word "articiocco," referring to its pine cone shape. The Syrians consider the artichoke and the eggplant, the noblest of vegetables. The artichoke was introduced into America by the Italians near Half Moon Bay in California around 1900. Today Castroville, California is the articho
Cassava Root Cassava is a root that is native to South America, from northeastern Brazil, to southwestern Mexico. Sometimes it is called manioc or yucca. Most commonly, it is used to make tapioca. Today, most cassava comes from Africa. It is a tuber from a shrub. The plant has large palmate leaves. It is 6-12 inches long, and 2-3 inches long. It has tough brown skin, and crisp white flesh. It is conical and cylindrical. It somewhat resembles a sweet potato. There are two main types: bitter and sweet. The roots are commonly waxed before shipment in order to keep it from dehydrating. Bitter cassava is poisonous unless cooked, and cooked fully. It has a high hydrocyanic acid level.