Present situation and future potential of artichoke in the Mediterranean basin

Artichoke is mainly a Mediterranean crop and the wild plant was known by ancient Greeks and Romans. The parts eaten were probably the petioles of leaves. In Italy the first record of the artichoke cultivated for the sake of buds was at Napoli during the 15(th) century, it soon after became a staple food over a great part of Italy. During 1915 the artichoke volume produced was 64,000 t, while in the year 2000 reached 534.000 t; the major production regions are Puglia (35 %), Sicilia (28 %) and Sardegna (21 %). France imports the largest amounts both for fresh consumption and preserved, while Spain is the biggest exporting country. Research has lead to the selection of 46 clones in France, 29 in Italy and 18 in Spain; moreover 73 seed propagated cultivars are available. The synonyms of the seven foremost cultivars grown in Italy, the name of nearly 100 cultivars and landraces of artichoke still grown in limited areas of Italian region, the list of 41 artichoke festivals, fairs and shows, are reported. For each Mediterranean country (with more details for Italy, Spain and France) information on volume produces, production areas, cultural procedure and cultivars is provided. For Italy, Spain and France respectively nearly 700, 170 and 70 recipes are collected. Finally, in order to improve yield and quality and to broaden the artichoke market, both for fresh, processed and new potential products, the needed future research is outlined.