Found in the wild along the Mediterranean, from Morocco and Portugal to Libya and Croatia, a cardoon is a thistle that tastes like a bitter version of a giant artichoke with small, prickly flower heads. But unlike an artichoke, you eat the stems, not the flower buds.

What foods are in the thistle family?

The most common food source of silymarin (besides milk thistle) is artichokes (Cynara Scolymus) which is also a member of the thistle family. A much rarer member of the thistle family is cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) which is also known as artichoke thistle or wild thistle.

Are cardoons burdock?

She compares the burdock's peeled stalk to the stalk of cardoon, which is a vegetable often used in Italian cooking. She adds that burdock's texture is similar to that of an artichoke heart and, once cooked, it has a “creamy texture with a little hint of a pleasant bitter edge.”