Bianco avorio example
- Characteristics
- Spineless ribs; described as easy to blanch
Cardoon
Cardoon is grown for its fleshy leaf ribs, with named types and blanching methods that give different results.
- Edible part
- Fleshy leaf ribs
- Local example
- Cardo gobbo di Nizza Monferrato
Types and forms
Gobbo di Nizza Monferrato
- Characteristics
- Bent, pale ribs produced by burial for blanching
The bend of the Nizza cardoon
For the local Nizza Monferrato product, growers bend and bury the plants for blanching. This method gives the ribs their bent shape and makes them white, crunchy and sweeter. This is a particular local practice, rather than a rule for every cardoon.
Try it in the kitchen
The local Cardo gobbo di Nizza Monferrato is eaten raw with bagna cauda, the hot sauce of olive oil, garlic and anchovies. For other cardoons, use cooked ribs in a gratin, following preparation directions for the type you buy.
Name the local type
If you want the Nizza Monferrato example, ask for its name and provenance. A pale rib alone does not identify that product. For another cardoon type, ask how the grower recommends preparing it.
