Cardy: provenance, origin and synonyms

Cardy has been cultivated for centuries. We will inform you about the origin, provenance and history of this he althy vegetable.

The safflower is related to the artichoke and is also called thistle cabbage, Spanish artichoke, vegetable artichoke or cardoon. It was already used by the ancient Egyptians during the 4th century BC. used. It is also known that they were eaten as food as early as 500 BC. was cultivated. Old documents show that at that time cardoon was valued as a vegetable from Greece to present-day Italy. However, it took a little longer before the tasty plant was able to fight its way into French and English gardens. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Cardone began to triumph and by the middle of the 16th century it could be found almost all over Europe. Cardy was also cultivated in Germany in the past centuries. Unfortunately, over time it has been somewhat forgotten in this country, but today it is mostly only cultivated by hobby gardeners. The preferred areas for planting clearly show that the cardy has its true origins in northern Africa and around the Mediterranean Sea. Larger growing areas are now in the USA, Italy, Spain and France.

The Cardy still popular today

This delicious, slightly bitter and spicy-nutty vegetable variety is available from the last few weeks of September through December. The vegetable artichoke is very he althy and definitely a real vegetable delicacy for gourmets and hobby gardeners… In old German cookbooks there are still countless recipes for preparing the cardy tastefully. Because until the First World War, the Kardone was part of the everyday menu. One of the main reasons why the safflower has almost disappeared from German kitchens over the last few decades is its short shelf life, which is why this daisy family is unfortunately extremely rare to find commercially.

More regionality promotes the spread of Cardy in German gardens

Historically, it is also one of the oldest crops known to us andcan fully convince both in terms of taste and in terms of their nutrients. Growing the cardy in your own garden not only enriches the hobby gardener with a tasty vegetable, but also promotes the preservation of the cardoon in our region.