How to Eat an Artichoke

How do you eat an artichoke? Moreover, exactly what is an artichoke? It's a strange vegetable consisting of layers and layers of fleshy leaves arranged in circular tiers around the "heart." At once elegant and scary, the artichoke can cause problems if you don't know how to tackle it.

Instructions

1. Start with the leaves closest to the base of the steamed artichoke. Pull one from the base. Holding the leaf at the pointed end, dip the broad end into mayonnaise or butter, then pull the fleshy part of the leaf between your teeth.

2. Discard the leaf. Serve the artichoke in a broad, shallow bowl and place the leaves alongside the artichoke. Provide a side plate or bowl.

3. Continue round and round the artichoke, removing one leaf at a time: dip, eat and discard.

4. Discard the papery-thin leaves closest to the heart, or gather several of them together and eat as you would a single leaf. Using your knife, scrape the choke (the fuzzy stuff) from the heart.

5. Eat your heart out. Proceed with a knife and fork. Cut the heart into bite-sized pieces, dip and eat.

6. Use a finger bowl to rinse your fingertips and dry them on the small towel provided or on your napkin. If there is no finger bowl, make do with your napkin and later excuse yourself if you feel you must wash your hands.

Tips & Warnings

• Assume an air of confidence when the artichoke is placed before you. Others will observe you and do the same.

• If the artichoke is steaming when it is served, wait a few minutes for it to cool a bit.

• The outer leaves of a mature artichoke have a single thorn at the tip. These tips are clipped off before steaming. Still, watch for the stray thorn the scissors may have missed.

• Do not eat the choke. Do not eat any part of the artichoke with an unpleasant texture or flavor. Do not pull off more than one leaf.

Resources

• How to cook and eat an artichoke