Large green or purple plants with a buds that are harvested and eaten as a vegetable, known for their layered leaves and tender heart.
From Italian 'articiocco', derived from Arabic 'al-khurshūf'. The word entered European languages through Arab agricultural knowledge during the medieval period.
Artichokes were so expensive and rare in medieval Europe that they were basically a luxury crop for royalty—the Arab world knew about them first, which is why the word traveled backwards into European languages.
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