Artichoke festival in Cerda Italy

Artichoke is believed to be the one of the first plant cultivated by human beings. Its botanical name is Cynara cardunculus var. scholium’s’ and it belongs to the sun flower species. In Hindi, it is called ‘Haathichuk’. Artichoke is mainly grown in the Euro-African nations lying on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The main producers of artichoke are Italy, Greece, Spain and North African nations. The flower buds are the edible portion of the plant. If allowed to bloom these buds turn into beautiful Blueish violet colored flowers. Although Artichoke is available all-round the world, it varies in shape, color and quality depending on its place of origin. Artichokes are a superfood in every sense of the word. It is rich in fiber and anti-oxidants. Other than the buds, the leaves and stem are also used as food.
By the end of winter season, the market gets active with the sale of artichoke. The groceries and supermarkets are filled with offers. Th artichoke is sold in bundles where 8-10 are ties together by the stem. Every year an artichoke festival is conducted in Cerda, a popular place in Italy. Cerda is a small township situated about 60km away from Palermo, the capital of Sicily island, Italy. A one-hour drive after the highway presents a fascinating journey through small zig zag roads before you finally reach Cerda. These roads are very famous for the car racing sports which have been conducted ever since 1906. The roads here witness car rallies and exhibitions every year. The journey is breath-taking with a view of magnificent mountain ranges on both sides and the cool fresh breeze which energizes the mind and soul of the travelers. This place is a nature lover’s paradise. Other than a few farm houses here and there, there are no inhabitants throughout the way. The lush green pastures where cows and horses are seen grazing and the ploughed fields are just some of the scenes that provides a feast for the eyes