The artichoke, il carciofo, has been the cornerstone vegetable of Rome since ancient times. Today more are cultivated in Italy (367,000 tons) than anywhere else in the world and more artichokes are eaten in Rome than any other city. 

According to a recipe in De Re Coquinaria by Apicius, they were pickled in honey and vinegar, and seasoned with cumin. On the other hand, his contemporary Pliny the Elder, who died during the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius, tells us that the artichoke had several beneficial medical effects: as a cure for baldness and indigestion, as a breath freshener, an aphrodisiac, and a guarantee to give birth to boys.