Artichokes have been a favorite food for over 2000 years, first appearing as a popular aphrodisiac in Ancient Greece and Rome. They grew natively around Italy, but by the year 800, they were being cultivated in Spain and gradually spread to other areas of Europe. Today, nearly all commercial artichokes grown in the US come from California, where they are harvested year-round. There are more than 50 varieties of artichokes, but only a few are commercially grown. The ones in the United States are likely to be round and green Globe artichokes, but some varieties have brown or purple leaves. The small artichokes sold as "baby artichokes" are not a variety of their own, but merely an immature version of larger artichokes.
