Yep… you guessed it, I bought it because it was one of those “weird” ones. And, hey, artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables. So… I had to give it a chance.
And I am really glad that I did!
The aroma of the dry leaves is very unusual. It doesn’t really smell like artichoke to me. It does give off a certain vegetative scent but there are also sweet notes in there, sort of fruit-like, and maybe even a little floral. The brewed tea is much more vegetable, though.
Already I know that this is going to be a difficult tea for me to review, because when I steam my artichokes, I usually add garlic, lemon, pepper and laurel to the “steam” water. These additives give off their definite own aromas and flavors to the artichoke. I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever eaten an unseasoned artichoke… so like I said, it will be difficult to say definitively that this tastes like artichoke.
With that in mind, my first few sips, I wasn’t sure that I was tasting artichoke. I did, however, taste distinct lemon-y notes which is quite on par with how I would prepare my artichoke.
But I like it… and it was definitely worth buying, and it will definitely be worth trying again!
