On Food and Cooking

the bracts, or protective leaves, and the heart,
which is actually the base of the flower
structure, the upper part of the stalk. The
“choke” is made up of the actual flowerets,
which if allowed to bloom turn a deep violet-
blue. The small artichokes sometimes seen in
markets or in jars come from flowering stalks
low on the plant rather than the main stalk.
They grow very slowly, and so are picked at
an immature stage when there’s little or no
choke inside.
The qualities of the artichoke are largely
determined by its copious content of phenolic
substances, which manifest themselves
immediately when the flesh is cut or tasted
raw. Cut surfaces turn brown very quickly as
the phenolics react with oxygen to form
colored complexes, and raw slices are
noticeably astringent thanks to the reaction of
phenolics with our salivary proteins. Cooking
minimizes both effects. By disrupting the
cells, it causes the phenolics to bind to a host