A vegetable unique to Geneva

Already known to the Greeks and Romans, the cardoon – like the artichoke, to which it is related – originated in the Mediterranean basin. Brought to Geneva in the 16th century by southern French Huguenots, cardoons were cultivated first in the Plainpalais area and then – following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 – at Jonction and on land situated between the Arve and Rhône rivers. With time, growers developed the unique, Geneva-specific variety known as the cardon épineux argenté de Plainpalais also referred to as the cardon épineux genevois.

Tradition, terroir, typicity and savoir-faire are what make the Geneva cardoon special – so special, in fact, that a group of farmers applied to the Swiss federal government for protective rights known as an appellation d´origine contrôlée (AOC) and this was granted in 2003. In Switzerland, this was the first time an AOC was granted to a vegetable. The Geneva cardoon is a voluminous plant that can reach heights of up to 1.5 m (nearly 5 feet). Its stalks are wide and fleshy and its leaves bright green on top and a silvery-white color (hence the argenté in the name) on the underside. Another characteristic of the Geneva cardoon is its fearsome thorns (épines). A perennial, this vegetable can be served in hardy rustic recipes as well as high-gastronomy dishes that satisfy the most refined palates. The market for it extends well beyond the confines of the canton.  

The Geneva cardoon is cultivated by some 10 farmers on approximately 6 hectares of land. Around 60 tons are produced each year.

For more information, log on to the French-language-only site of the Union Maraîchère de Genève:  www.umg.ch or www.cardongenevois.com