Montelupone Artichoke

The Montelupone artichoke, also known as "scarciofeno" grows in the province of Macerata, in the hills between the valleys of the Chienti and Potenza rivers. Deep purple in color, it is smaller than the average artichoke and has no inner choke or outer spines. The late-ripening variety is characteristic of the municipality of Montelupone, and comes in two eco-types. One has more serrated leaves, is harvested earlier (from the end of March) and is more productive, while the other has less serrated leaves, a smaller plant, a later harvesting time and is less productive.
When the plant is young, it can produce as many as ten heads (the artichoke’s inflorescences) but after a few years this goes down to just four. Because of this quick drop in production and a lower-than-average yield (5.5 tons per hectare, unlike, for example, the Romanesco which can produce as much as 10 tons), the Montelupone artichoke is only known locally and is distributed in a limited area, despite its very high quality.
Due to its flavorfulness and sweetness, it features in many typical dishes, like tagliatelle with artichokes, fried artichokes and artichokes alla giudìa. Historically, the first heads, the largest, are cooked in a frying pan with breadcrumbs, parsley, oil, salt and white wine, while the smaller heads are blanched and packed in oil.

Season

The staggered harvest takes place in April and May