Pietrelcina Artichoke

In the gently rolling hills on either side of the Tammaro River, close to Benevento, lies the medieval hill town of Pietrelcina. Despite a shortage of water for irrigation in the area, Pietrelcina has long been known as an agricultural center, thanks to some particularly characteristic products. Amidst the swathes of wheat and tobacco, an unusual variety of artichoke has found its ideal habitat, after being introduced in around 1840 by an official from Bari. The cool, deep, well-aerated soil has created the perfect conditions for growing this particularly tender variety with a delicate flavor, which has become emblematic of the town.
The stalk of the Pietrelcina artichoke plant grows up to 80 centimeters tall. The flower head has green bracts tinged with a violet that becomes even more accentuated thanks to a traditional technique by which growers use the upper leaves of the plant to cover the flower heads. As well as giving them a deeper color, this also makes them more tender and meaty. The central flower head (mammarella) will be between 10 and 15 centimeters in diameter, while the secondary flower heads are smaller. This is how the Pietrelcino artichoke has adapted to the lack of water in the area, meaning it does not require any additional irrigation. The plants are reproduced using the shoots from the bottom of the plant, known as carducci. The best examples are carefully selected, removed and transplanted in the fields, usually at the end of September.
All of the work in the fields is carried out by hand, from summer weeding to the removal of excess shoots (scarducciatura) in the autumn and also the harvest, which begins in the first half of April and can continue until the end of May, depending on the weather each year. The flower heads are collected individually and tied in bunches of four or eight. The tying, known as ammazzamento, follows a traditional procedure: Each bunch is made up of four mammarelle, also known as cimarole, which are tied with rushes. These are called vinchi in dialect and gathered from along the banks of the nearby Tammaro River.
The local cuisine features many artichoke dishes, the epitome of which is Pietrelcina artichokes stuffed with a mixture of bread, potatoes, chicory, meat, eggs and pecorino cheese, though tagliatelle with artichoke ragù and Pietrelcina artichoke flan with a cheese sauce and crisp pancetta are also notable. The carducci shoots are also bent, tied and covered with earth and leaves to produce the typical cardone, very popular in the city of Benevento particularly around Christmas, where it is used in zuppa di cardone, a traditional soup made with chicken broth, beaten eggs, meatballs and pine nuts.

Season

The harvest starts by mid-April and lasts till the end of May