Have you ever encountered the word "cardon" in life? Many will say what the word "frontier" or "military outpost" means. Such an answer will be incorrect. Words so similar in sound differ in only one letter, but have completely different meanings.
Meaning of the word “cardon”
In fact, this strange word has a completely different meaning and is associated with plants. What is a cardon? Determining the value may cause some difficulties. This word comes from the Latin language. Its name is Cynara cardunculus in Latin, Cynara scolymus from Greek. Cardon, or the Spanish artichoke, is a plant in the Aster family.
Translated from the Greek Cynara scolymus means "dog teeth." Cardon got its name because its fruits and leaves have an acute shape similar to the fangs of these animals.
Scientists believe that the homeland of the artichoke are the countries of the Mediterranean. Even in the days of Ancient Greece, many scientific works related to this plant were written. It wandered through the centuries through the Roman Empire to the countries of Europe, where it settled and became part of the daily life of more than one generation.
And from there, the cardon settled around the globe. Spanish artichoke can be found in Asia, Africa, India. It is eaten, used for medical purposes, and also grown as an ornamental plant.
A bit of history
There is a myth that says that the artichoke was born thanks to the love of the thunder god Zeus. A mortal girl named Tsinara lived on one of the islands in the Aegean. Noticing her, knowing love with her, Zeus wanted to make her immortal.
Tsinara was not afraid and went up to Olympus, hiding from the keen eye of Hera. But once the young goddess decided to visit the world of people and did not ask permission of the supreme god. For such impudence and disobedience, Zeus turned her into a thorny inconspicuous bush. Since then, he bears her name.
In Mauritania, Neapolitania and Sicily, the artichoke took root in monasteries, becoming one of the main sources of food. Thanks to the centuries-old selection by monks, mankind is familiar with varieties that were bred specifically for large yields.
So what is cardon for people who lived many thousands of years ago? First of all, this is one of the power sources. Secondly, a drug, the healing properties of which Theofrast described in his works.
The medicine
What did cardon mean to physicians and healers of antiquity? The plant has many useful properties and has been widely used in medicine and cosmetology for more than one thousand years. Its miraculous properties were known in ancient China, Greece and Rome.
The Romans treated them for swelling, scurvy, jaundice. Due to its choleretic, diuretic properties, the artichoke was quite popular in the Middle Ages. The main disease of that time - gout - was treated using this particular product.
At the royal courts of Europe, the Spanish artichoke was used as an aphrodisiac. Representatives of both sexes did not disdain them. It was believed that by eating a serving of cardon, you can increase your libido for a long time.
Catherine de Medici, who became the wife of the French king at the age of fourteen, forbade the use of this product to her maids of honor, fearing betrayal of the crowned spouse.
Nowadays, the pharmaceutical industry can offer many Cardon-based products. Due to its choleretic properties, it is recommended for people suffering from stagnation of bile, impaired liver function, as well as having chronic kidney inflammation, renal failure.
Cookery
Perhaps it is worth recalling that cardon is a plant that has been a favorite of lovers of gastronomic delights for more than a thousand years. For food, unripe inflorescences and fleshy stems of the basal part are used.
So that the flesh does not give bitterness, it is pre-boiled and peeled. Each hostess has her own recipe for processing unbleached cardon. Someone adds lemon juice, someone - milk. But the easiest way is to cook in slightly salted water. The meaty part becomes unusually soft and sweet (when processed with milk).
In Italy and Portugal, cheese makers learned to use cardon as a rennet hood for making goat and cow milk cheeses. Culinary experts prefer to use today its unripe inflorescences for cooking various dishes. For gourmets, it is not only interesting as a special dietary product, but also attractive for its specific spicy taste.
So what is cardon for the inhabitants of southern Europe? This is a long story dating back to ancient times. This is a dietary product with an incredible amount of beneficial properties. This is an incredible plant with a lot of varieties. It is safe to say that cardon is a plant that has become an integral part of the daily life of many people.