Logbook · 5 places

Benicarló artichoke

Benicarló, El Baix Maestrat, Castellón

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

Spain › Valencian Community › Castellón › El Baix Maestrat › Benicarló › Benicarló artichoke

Benicarló artichoke

Food and drink · Benicarló, El Baix Maestrat, Castellón

The Benicarló artichoke is a protected designation of origin covering the cultivation of this vegetable in the Castellón district of Bajo Maestrazgo, in the towns of Benicarló, Cálig, Peñíscola and Vinaroz, among the sandy lands near the sea. It is an artichoke of the white Tudela variety, with a tender heart and no fuzz, grown from October to June and recognised by its flat, compact shape. Cultivation has been traditional in the area since at least the 18th century, when it was cited by the botanist Antonio José de Cavanilles, although large-scale production did not take off until the 1940s. The designation of origin was approved in 1998 and recognised as protected by the European Union in 2003, and the town devotes its winter food festival to it.

Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What to see and do in Benicarló